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MASSACHUSETTS 
STATE  COLLEGE 


GOODELL    LIBRARY 


F 

74 

D7D7 


Qh\fO 


OLD  HOME  DAY 


TOWN  OF  DOVER 


AUGUST  19th,  1903 


NATICK,  MASS., 

PRESS  OF  NATICK  BULLETIN, 

1903. 


975 

M382 

Drsd 


PREFACE 


Though  the  Wise  Man  has  said  "  of  making  books  there  is 
no  end  and  much  study  is  a  weariness  to  the  flesh "  yet  we 
think  that  it  is  not  useless  to  print  for  future  reference,  the 
many  good  things  that  were  said  at  the  gathering  on  our  own 
Old  Home  Day  ;  that  we  may  have  a  Souvenir  of  the  occasion, 
to  send  to  the  many  who  were  not  able  to  be  with  us  on  account 
of  the  infirmities  of  age,  business  engagements,  and  distance 
from  the  old  home,  but  who  can,  by  reading  these  pages,  get  all 
but  the  near  presence  and  enthusiasm  of  the  occasion.  We  are 
indebted  to  our  Heavenly  Father  for  one  of  the  best  days  that 
could  be  conceived  for  such  a  gathering  ;  also  to  our  committees 
who  did  all  in  their  power  in  the  departments  to  which  they 
were  assigned,  to  those  who  wrote  yearning  letters  expressing  a 
desire  to  be  with  us  but  were  not  able,  and  we  are  doubly  in. 
debted  to  those  who  did  come,  and  by  their  presence  and  their 
greetings    touched    tender    chords    in    our  hearts. 

Words  fail  to  express  our  appreciation  to  those  who 
assisted  in  entertaining  our  guests  by  their  music,  recitations, 
essays  and  remarks,  all  so  appropriate  to  the  occasion,  and 
which  contributed  so  much  toward  making:  it  a  success. 


COMMONWEALTH    OF    MASSACHUSETTS 


In  the  Year  One  Thousand  Nine  Hundred  and  Two. 


AN  ACT 

To  establish  Old  Home  Week  and  to  authorize  its  obser- 
vance by  cities  and  towns. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Seriate  and  House  of  Representatives  in 
General  Court  assembled,  and  by   the   authority    of  the  same,  as 
foUo7vs  : 

Section  i.  The  calendar  week  beginning  with  the  last 
Sunday  of  July  in  each  year  is  hereby  designated  as  "Old  Home 
Week"  and  is  set  apart  as  a  season  during  which  cities  and 
towns  may  conduct  appropriate  celebrations  in  honor  of  return- 
ing sons  and  daughters  of  the  Commonwealth  and  other  invited 
guests,  and  may  hold  exercises  of  historical  interest. 

Section  2.  Cities  by  their  city  councils,  and  towns  at 
legal  town  meetings,  may  appropriate  money  for  the  observance 
of  Old  Home  Week. 

Section  3.     This  act  shall  take  effect  upon  its  passage. 

Approved  Feb.  pj,  igo2. 
Office  of  the  Secretary,  Boston,  March  14,  1902. 
A  true  copy  : 

WM.   M.  OLIN, 

Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth. 


DOVER    CITIZENS    ORGANIZE 


In  accordance  with  the  foregoing  act,  a  resolution  was 
offered  at  a  meeting  of  the  Dover  Historical  and  Natural 
History  Society,  for  the  observance  of  "Old  Home  Day" 
in  Dover,  and  asking  the  two  churches,  the  Dover  Temperance 
Union,  The  Improvement  Society  and  the  Grange  to  each 
appoint  a  committee  to  act  with  a  committee  of  the  Historical 
Society  to  arrange  a  program  for  the  public  observance  of  "Old 
Home  Day."  After  some  discussion  it  was  decided  that  a  public 
meeting  be  called  of  the  citizens  to  take  action  as  to  the  ob- 
servance of  "Old  Home  Day  "  by  the  town,  which  meeting  was 
duly  called.  Charles  C.  J.  Spear  was  elected  Chairman,  and 
Mrs.  A.  L.  Johnson,  Secretary.  It  was  voted  that  the  day  be 
celebrated,  and  Aug.  19,  1903,  was  decided  upon  as  the  day. 
The  following  committees  were  appointed: 

GENERAL    COM  M  IF  FEE 

Charles  C.  J.  Spear,  Chairman 

Mrs.  A.   L.   Johnson,   Secretary 

Ansel  K.  Tisdale,  Registrar. 


Honorary  Committee — Asa  Talbot,  George  D.  Everett,  Josiah 
Whiting,  A.  F.  Dodge,  F.  H.  Wight,  Josiah  D.  Hammond, 
William  Whiting,  John  McKenzie,  Mrs.  Caleb  Kenrick, 
Mrs.  Ephraim  Wilson,  Mrs.  F.  H.  Wight,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Leonard   Draper,   Mrs.    Mary  Anderson,  Francis  Bacon. 

Invitation  Committee — Eben  Higgins  (Chairman),  Mrs.  M. 
A.  Everett,  George  L.  Howe,  Benjamin  N.  Sawin,  Mrs. 
Phebe  Chickering,  George  E.  Chickering,  James  B.  Cough- 
lin. 


Reception  Committee— George  L.   Howe  (Chairman),    J.    VV. 

Higgins,  George  C.  Taylor,  Mrs.  Inez  Packard,  Mrs.   Etta 

L.   Hall,   Mrs.   p:nima  Colburn,   Elbridge   L.   Mann,  James 

McGill,    George  E.    Post,    M.  W.    Comiskey,    Mrs.    J.    L. 

Woodward,  Charles  S.   Bean,  Mrs.   Emma    E.   Spear,   Mrs. 

Caroline   Hodgson,    Erederick  H.  Wight,    Mrs.    Maria    G. 

Paine,  Miss  Martha  Howe,  Mrs.  L.   A.  Talbot,  Walter  M. 

Wotton,  Mrs.  Evora  Wotton,  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Higgins. 
Committee  ON  Sports — Frank  Bean  (Chairman),  Chester  Hall, 

Albert    Hall,     James    H.     Chickering,     Charles    S.     Bean, 

Richard  H.  Bond. 
Literary     Committee— Allen    F.    Smith    (Chairman),    J.    W. 

Higgins,   Rev.  A.   H.  Johnson,   Mrs.    Inez    Packard,    Mrs- 

A.  L.  Johnson,  Mrs.  E.  D.  Smith. 
Committee     on     Decorations— Mrs.     Joshua    L.    W^oodward 

(Chairman),    Miss    Grace    Stowell,    Chester    Hall,     Alma 

Chickering,   Frank  Bean,  George  C.  Taylor,   A.   F.  Smith, 

E.  F.  Hodgson,  James  H.  Chickering. 
Financial  Committee — Charles  H.  Bean   (Chairman),  Joseph 

Ziolkowski,  Mrs.  George  D.  Everett,   Miss  Lillian  J.  Mann. 

Treasurer,  Judson  S.  Battelle. 
Committee    on    Badges — Mrs.    Emma   E.    Spear    (Chairman), 

Allen  F.  Smith,  Mrs.   Eben  Higgins. 
Committee  on  Refreshments — Joseph  Ziolkowski  (Chairman), 

Charles  S.  Bean,  Richard  H.  Bond,  Miss  Annie  Ziolkowski, 

Miss  Edith  Hall,  Mrs.  Evora  Wotton. 


The  following  invitation,  program  and  historical  facts  were 
printed  and  sent  to  upward  of  five  hundred  persons  : 


THE    INVITATION 

CONGRATULATING  the  absent  sons  and  daughters  of  Do- 
ver upon  their  lives  of  usefulness  and  honor  in  the  world, 
and  desiring  to  strengthen  the  ties  that  bind  them  to  one  an- 
other and  our  beautiful  town,  with  the  co-operation  of  the  citi- 
zens in  public  meeting  assembled,  and  in  the  name  of  the  Town 
of  Dover,  we  invite  all  former  residents,  her  absent  sons  and 
daughters  and  descendants  of  the  same,  who  may  have  pleasant 
recollections  of  a  residence  here  in  other  years,  to  visit  the  town 
during  our  "  Old  Home  Day"  celebration,  August  19,  1903, 
reviving  memories  of  other  days  and  together  visiting  the 
churches  on  the  hill,  where  we  were  taught  the  truth  ;  the  old 
cemetery  where  our  ancestors  lie  ;  the  school  houses  where  our 
ideas  were  enlarged,  all  somewhat  changed  and  perhaps  im- 
proved ;  also  the  brooks  where  we  fished,  the  river  Charles  and 
the  ponds  where  we  gathered  lilies  and  learned  to  swim,  the 
pastures  where  we  drove  the  cows  to  feed,  and  where  in  the 
summer  we  picked  berries,  and  in  the  autumn  went  nut  gather- 
ing ;  all  will  interest  us,  inspiring  us  with  noble  thoughts  and 
recalling  the  days  of  yore. 

We  will  welcome  you  with  outstretched  hands  in  a  cordial 
greeting,  and  have  provided  for  your  entertainment  an  interest- 
ing program,  consisting  of  sports,  literary  exercises,  singing, 
etc.,  commencing  at  9  o'clock  a.  m.,  and  continuing  through  the 
day,  a  full  list  of  which  appears  on  the  inside  pages. 

In  anticipation  of  a  large  number  and  our  limited  means 
for  entertaining  all  who  may  be  present,  the  committee  have  de- 
cided upon  a  basket  lunch  (visitors  bringing  their  own),  and 
will  furnish  coffee  and  lemonade  free  to  all  from  12  m. 
to  I  p.  m.  A  caterer  will  be  at  the  Town  House  to  provide 
lunches  for  all  who  desire,  at  reasonable  rates. 

Anyone  receiving  an  invitation,  and  knowing  of  a  person 
who  has  been  omitted,  is  hereby  requested  to  give  such  a  one  a 
cordial  invitation  on  behalf  of  the  committee,  or  send  the  person's 
name  to  the  chairman  of  Committee  on  Invitations,  who  will 
immediately  forward  an  invitation. 


PROGKAMME.   A.   M. 


7  a.  m. — Ringing  of  bell. 

9  a.  m. — Sports.     Confined  to  residents  of  the  town.       Suitablar 
prizes  awarded  to  winners  of  each  event. 
I  St. — Two   Mile   Bicycle    Race,  for  boys  under  i6  years  of 

age. 
2d. — loo  Yard  Dash.     Open  to  all. 
3rd. — Running  High  Jump, 
4th. — Potato  Race,  for  boys. 

5th. — 80  Yard  Run,  for  boys  under  14  years  of  age. 
6th. — 120  Yard  Low  Hurdles. 

7  th. — 100  Yard  Dash,  for  men  over  35  years  of  age. 
8th. — Running  Broad  Jump.     Open. 
9th. — 220  Yard  Dash.     Open, 
loth. — Potato  Race,  for  girls. 
I  ith. — Tug  of  War. 
10.30  a.  m. — ^Exercises  in  Town  Hall. 

Call  to  order,  by  James  McGill,  Chairman  Board  of  Select- 
men. 
Singing.      "  Italian  Hymn." 
Devotional  Exercises. 
Address  of  Welcome.     George  L.   Howe,   President  of    the 

Day. 
Historical  Address.      Frank  Smith,  Dedham. 
Remarks  by  Invited  Guests. 
Singing.     "  Auld  Lang  Syne." 
12  m. — Basket  Lunch.     Coffee  and  lemonade  free  to    all   from 
12  m.  to  I  o'clock.     Lunch  provided  by  the  caterer  at 
reasonable  rates. 


PROGRAMME,   P.   M. 


Exercises  in  Town    Hall,   consisting  of  music,   recitations   and 

remarks  on  points  of  historic  interest. 
1.30  p.  m, — Singing.     "  Home,  Sweet  Home." 


The  Old  Powder  House  and  Town  Pound 

George  L.  Howe- 
Violin  Solo  ---.--  Idalian  Howard' 

The  Old  Parsonage  .  -         -         Mrs.  Lizzie  Chickering: 

Recitation.  "  New  England."  -  -  Edith  McClure 
The  Toll  Gate  .         .         .         .         .         Ansel  Tisdale 

The  Wilson  Homestead  -         -  Ephraim  H.  Wilson 

Violin  Solo,  .         .         .         .         .         Idalian  Howard 

Recitation.     "Old  Farmers'  Almanac" 

Thomas  Jefferson  Tobey 
Singing  -.--..-         Quartette 

The  Flag Mrs.  M.  A.  Everett 

Singing.      "America."     All  requested  to  join. 
3  p.  m. — Base  Ball  Game.     Married  Men  vs.  Single  Men. 

Exhibition  of  historical  relics,  in  charge  of  Reception  Com' 
mittee,  who  will  be  on  duty  at  the  Town  Hall  during  the 
dav. 


HISTORICAL 


Dover  was  originally  a  part  of  Dedham,  and  without  doubt 
performed  its  full  duty  to  its  parent  Without  stint  or  measure, 
bearing  its  full  share  of  the  burdens. 

In  1729,  on  petition  to  the  General  Court,  what  is  now  Do- 
ver was  freed  from  paying  their  minister  rates  in  Dedham,  and 
ordered  to  pay  their  ministerial  taxes  to  the  several  ministers 
of  other  towns,  where  they  attended  on  public  worship. 

In  1748,  on  petition  to  the  General  Court,  the  inhabitants 
were  vested  with  parish  privileges,  and  made  a  district  precinct,, 
with  bounds,  and  called  the  fourth  precinct  of  Dedham,  or 
Springfield  Parish. 

First  meeting-house  built  and  dedicated  December,  1754. 

In  1784  the  precinct  was  incorporated  into  a  district  by 
the  name  of  Dover,  and,  with  the  exception  of  not  having  a 
representative,  exercised  all  the  functions  of  a  town,  with  a  ful^ 


board  of  officers,  maintained  highways,  took  care  of  the  poor, 
^nd  supported  schools. 

In  1836  Dover  was  incorporated  as  a  town. 

Benjamin  Caryl  was  the  first  minister,  and  accepted  tha 
■call  of  the  parish,  Sept.  5,  1762.  The  house  in  which  he  lived 
is  still  standing  and  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

In  the  battle  of  Lexington,  April  19,  1775,  one  Dover 
soldier,  Elias  Haven,  was  killed. 

The  oldest  houses  now  standing  are  the  John  Glassett 
house,  on  Haven  street,  1748  ;  the  Arnold  Wight  house.  Straw- 
berry hill,  1775;  the  George  E.  Chickering  house,  Haven  street, 
a768. 


OLD  HOME  DAY 


AUGUST    19,    1903 


The  sun  rose  clear,  and  the  day  was  bright  and  beauti- 
ful. At  seven  o'clock  the  festivities  began  with  the  ringing  of 
the  old  church  bell  for  half  an  hour. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  sports  for  which  our  young  people  had 
been  practicing  began  and  were  well  contested.  The  following 
is  the  list  of  the  contestants  with  names  of  the  winners  and 
prizes  received. 


SPORTS 


TWO  MILE  BICYCLE  RACE  FOR  BOYS  UNDER  16 

Entries  : 

Clarence    Taylor,    James  Harty,  Edward  Sawyer,  Clarence 

Hall,  Fred  Neal,  Frank  Spear. 
Winners  : 

Clarence  Hall,  ist  Prize  —  Fishing  Rod. 

Fred  Neal,  2nd  Prize — Sprint  Pants. 

100  YARD  DASH 
Entries  : 

Henry  Cowles,  James  Harty,  Clarence  Hall,  Chas.  Dickens, 

Weyland    Minot,    M.   Comiskey,    James  Chickering,  Frank 

Bean,  A.  Edward  Hall. 
Winners  : 

James  Chickering,   ist  Prize  —  Silver  Loving  Cup. 

RUNNING  HIGH  JUMP 
Entries  : 

James    Harty,   Lester    Bennett,    Edward   Sawyer,  Clarence 


Hall,   Frank  Bean,  James    Chickering,    A.    Edward  Hall 

M.  Comiskey. 
Winners  : 

Frank  Bean,  ist  Prize  —  Silver  Cup. 
M.  Comiskey,  2nd  Prize  —Wallet. 

POTATO  RACE  FOR  BOYS 
Entries: 

Frank  Spear,   Lester    Bennett,    Richard    Breagy,    Clarence 
Hall,    Edward    Sawyer,    James    Harty,    Weyland  Minot^ 
Loring  Woodward,   Leon   Bean,  Lawrence    Welch,  H.  A„ 
Welch,  Harry  Minot. 
Winners  : 

Richard  Breagy,  ist  Prize  —  Silver  Watch. 
Clarence  Hall,  2nd  Prize  —  Baseball  Glove. 

80  YARD   RUN  FOR  BOYS  UNDER   14 
Entries  : 

Clifford  Nelson,  H.  A.  Welch,  E.  Taylor,  Loring  Woodward, 
Leon  Bean,  Richard  Breagy,  Clarence  Hall,  Henry  Nolan,. 
William  Yankee,  Harry  Minot,  Weyland  Minot. 
Winners: 

Clarence  Hall,  ist  Prize  —  Camera. 
Weyland  Minot,  2nd  Prize  —  Baseball. 

RUNNING  BROAD  JUMP 
Entries  : 

Henry  Cowles,  James    Harty,    Loring    Woodward,  Chester 
Hall,  Clarence  Hall,  Weyland  Minot,  Frank  Bean,  James 
Chickering,  A.  Edward  Hall. 
Winners  : 

Frank  Bean,  ist  Prize  — Large  German  Stein. 

James  Chickering,  2nd  Prize  — Gold  Necktie  Pin. 

A.  Edward  Hall,  3d  Prize  — Silver  Top  Water  Pitcher. 

220  YARD   RUN 
Entries: 

James    Harty,     Harold    McKenzie,     Frank     Bean,     James 
Chickering,  Frederic  French,  A.  Edward  Hall  (withdrew). 


13 

Winners: 

James  Chickering,  ist  Prize  —  Silver  Loving  Cup. 
Frank  Bean,  2nd  Prize  —  Watch  Fob. 
Frederic  French,  3d  Prize. 

POTATO  RACE  FOR  GIRLS 
Entries: 

Evelyn  Bean,   Una  Bean,    Florence   Clancy,  Emma  Lovely, 
May  McClure. 
"Winners  : 

Evelyn  Bean,  ist  Prize  —  Fan. 

Florence  Clancv,  2d  Prize  —  Silver  Bracelet. 


EXERCISES  IN  THE  HALL 


At  10.30  o'clock  the  exercises  in  the  Town  Hall  commenced, 
James  McGill,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Selectmen,  calling 
the  meeting  to  order  and  inviting  the  audience  to  join  in 
singing  the  following  hymn: 

Come,  thou  Almighty  King, 
Help  us  Thy  name  to  sing, 

Help  us  to  praise: 
Father!  all  glorious. 
O'er  all  victorious  ; 
Come,  and  reign  over  us 

Ancient  of  days  ! 

Come,  Thou  Incarnate  Word  ! 
Gird  on  Thy  mighty  sword. 

Our  prayer  attend  : 
Come,  and  thy  people  bless. 
And  give  Thy  word  success, — 
Spirit  of  Holiness  ! 

On  us  descend. 

■Come,  Holy  Comforter  ! 
Thy  sacred  witness  bear, 

In  this  glad  hour  : 
Thou,  Who  Almightly  art. 
Now  rule  in  every  heart. 
And  ne'er  from  us  depart. 

Spirit  of  Power  ! 


14 

Rev.  A.  H.  Johnson  offered  prayer. 

The  Chairman  introduced  Geo.  L.  Howe  as  the  President 
of  the  day,  who  took  charge  of  the  exercises  and  gave  the  fol- 
lowing address  of  welcome  : 

Sons  and  Daughters,  Former  Residents  and  Friends  :  — 

It  certainly  is  a  very  pleasant  duty  that  is  assigned  me  to 
welcome  you  to  this  Home  gathering  and  let  me  assure  you  if 
you  receive  as  much  pleasure  in  coming  as  we  do  in  receiving, 
we  shall  feel  fully  repaid  for  the  effort  made  to  observe  this  day. 
Our  forefathers  established  a  home-gathering  day  —  a  day  of 
thanksgiving.  What  preparation  was  made  for  that  day  ?  The 
choicest  fruit  from  the  orchard  was  saved,  the  nuts  from  the 
pasture  and  hilltop,  the  ripest  and  yellowest  pumpkin  for  the 
pumpkin-pies,  the  busy  housewife  preparing  the  choicest  viands, 
nothing  was  too  good  for  that  day.  For  why  ?  There  was  to 
be  home-gathering  of  kindred  and  friends  around  the  family 
hearth-stone.  This  is  our  Thanksgiving  day,  our  home-gather- 
ing day.  We  feel  an  honest  pride  in  those  who  have  gone  out 
from  us,  as  they  have  been  called  to  fill  places  of  trust  and 
responsibility.  Of  such  there  have  been  of  men  and  \vomen  not 
a  few. 

How  many  from  every  walk  in  life  have  stepped  into  this 
little  hamlet  and  chosen  our  daughters  to  be  their  companions, 
ministers,  lawyers,  doctors,  sturdy  farmers,  skilled  mechanics; 
we  pronounce  these  men  as  farsighted,  men  of  good  common 
sense,  of  good  sound  judgment,  as  it  has  invariably  proved.  In 
fact,  so  often  has  this  been  done  that  some  of  us  are  left 
alone. 

We  would  not  forget  those  who  have  lived  among  us  and 
have  passed  over  the  river.  We  feel  their  lives  have  been  a 
blessing,  the  influence  of  which  is  felt  here  today,  for  nothing 
good  is  lost. 

Now,  my  friends,  with  out-stretched  hands  and  open  hearts 
I  bid  you  a  most  hearty  welcome,  and  may  the  influence  of  this 
day  be  the  means  of  strengthening  the  ties  that  bind  us  to 
gether. 


^5 

HISTORICAL  ADDRESS   BY   MR.    FRANK  SMITH 
OF  DEDHAM 


Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  : — 

There  is  great  satisfaction  in  taking  part  in  this  first  "  Old 
Home  Day"  celebration.  There  is  real  pleasure  in  looking  into 
the  faces  of  former  neighbors  and  friends  ;  in  going  back  to  the 
old  home,  with  all  its  tender  memories  and  associations ,  in 
treading  again  the  paths  where  our  mothers  led  our  baby  feet ; 
in  resting  beneath  familiar  trees  and  plucking  fruit  from  their 
branches  as  of  old  ;  and  above  all  in  cherishing  the  traditions  of 
the  devoted  lives  of  those  who  have  made  the  dear  old  town  what 
she  is  today,  for  these  traditions  bind  us  to  her  with  every  fibre 
of  our  hearts.  I  should  like  to  speak  to  you  along  these  lines, 
but  on  an  occasion  like  this,  I  believe  we  should,  as  far  as  possible, 
recreate  the  past,  and  picture  to  ourselves  the  life  of  the  early 
settlers  who  experienced  in  the  clearing  of  these  farms  a  condi- 
tion of  life  which  long  since  has  passed  away. 

What  can  more  profitably  engage  our  attention  than  a  con- 
sideration of  the  life  and  the  habits  of  those  settlers  who  first 
developed  the  territory  on  which  so  many  of  us  were  born,  or 
now  live  ? 

Let  us  for  a  few  moments  imagine  the  dangers,  the  privations^ 
the  difficulties  and  the  perplexities  of  their  daily  life.  Henry 
Wilson,  in  1640,  left  his  neighbors  and  friends  in  Dedham  town 
and  commenced  a  settlement  on  the  path  leading  to  Powisset, 
now  called  Wilsondale  street,  where  his  lineal  descendants  have 
continued  to  live,  and  are  still  carrying  on  his  vocation. 

James  Draper,  the  Puritan,  from  whom  so  many  proudly 
trace  their  lineage  today,  left  his  home  in  West  Roxbury  as 
early  as  1656,  and  for  more  than  twenty  years  lived,  no  small 
part  of  the  time,  in  the  west  part  of  Dover,  on  a  farm  which 
extended  from  the  Natick  to  the  Medfield  line,  a  part  of  which 
farm  is  still  occupied  by  a  lineal  descendant,  George  Draper 
Everett,  on  Farm  street.  In  these  years,  Mr.  Draper  had  child- 
ren born  to  him  in  both  Dedham  and  Roxbury,  but  he  did  not 


i6 

ftjecome  a  freeman  in  Roxbiiry  until  1690,  two  years  after  selling 
his  Dover  farm  to  his  son  John,  a  fact  which  indicates  that  he 
-spent  much  of  his  time  here. 

Andrew  Dewing,  who  later  lived  in  Needham,  and  built,  as 
it  is  believed,  a  garrison  house  in  the  west  part  of  that  town 
.now  Wellesley,  was  living  on  the  Clay  Brook  Road  in  1669. 
This  place  was  later  occupied,  as  we  believe,  by  Thomas 
Battelle,  the  progenitor  of  the  Battelle  family,  which  for  two 
hundred  years  has  been  so  numerous  in  this  town.  The  ruins 
•  of  the  old  cellar  can  still  be  seen  near  the  picnic  grounds  of 
IBenjamin  N.  Sawin,  just  west  of  Trout  Brook.  Mr.  Battelle 
-came  here  at  an  uncertain  date,  probably  just  after  King 
Philip's  war,  or  possibly  before,  as  the  attitude  of  the  Praying 
Indians  at  Natick  was  most  friendly. 

Nathaniel  Chickering,  whose  descendants  are  still  numer- 
'Ously  represented  here,  after  a  lapse  of  more  than  two  centuries, 
commenced  his  settlement  at  the  centre  of  the  town,  previous 
to  1690,  on  a  farm  which  is  still  occupied  by  a  lineal  descend- 
ant, George  Ellis  Chickering,  on  Haven  street. 

Eleazer  Ellis  came  here  as  early  as  1690,  and  perhaps  his 
farm  was  occupied  still  earlier,  as  in  the  division  of  his  estate 
in  1755  his  house  is  spoken  of  as  very  old.  He  lived  on  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  Capt.  Wotton  on  Haven  street.  His 
.house  stood  on  the  knoll  east  of  Mr.  Chickering's  house. 

With  the  exception  of  Mr.   Ellis,  all  of  the  above  settlers 
were  Puritans,  whose  feet  had  trodden,  before  coming  to  this 
-wilderness,  the  ways  and  the  by-ways  of  old  England,  and  who 
■  carried  with  them  wherever  they  went  the  Puritan  spirit,  which 
-.not  only  has  made  New   England  what  she  is,  but  also  has  been 
-a  moulding  influence  in  the  development  of   the  nation.      We 
•"have,  in    the  words  of  one    of  the  early    settlers    of  Dedham, 
Michael   Metcalf,  whose  descendant,    Samuel    Metcalf,    headed 
the  petition  for  the  organization  of  the  Springfield  Parish  in 
1748,  an  account  which  gives  a  realistic  picture  of  the  persecu- 
tion of  the  Puritans  in  England  before  coming  to  New  England. 
He  says,  "  I  was  persecuted  in  the  land  of  my  father's    sepul- 
^chre  for  not  observing  ceremonies  in    religion  forced  upon  me. 


n 

I  was  obliged,  for  the  sake  of  the  liberty  of  my  conscience,  to 
flee  from  my  wife  and  children,  to  go  into  New  England,  takino^ 
ship  for  the  voyage  at  London,  the  17th  of  September,  1636, 
being  by  tempests  tossed  up  and  down  the  seas  till  Christmas 
following,  then  veering  round  about  to  Plymouth  in  Old 
England,  in  which  time  I  met  with  many  severe  afflictions. 
Leaving  the  ship  I  went  down  to  Yarmouth,  where  I  shipped 
myself  and  family  to  come  to  New  England,  sailed  15th  of  April, 
1637,  and  arrived  three  days  before  mid-summer  with  my  wife, 
nine  children  and  a  servant."  In  the  postscript  to  the  above 
he  says,  "  My  enemies  conspired  against  me  to  take  away  mv 
life,  and  sometimes,  to  avoid  their  hands,  my  wife  did  hide  me 
in  the  roof  of  the  house,  covering  me  with  straw." 

Of  these  early  settlers  Henry  Wilson  was  probably  the  only 
one  to  build  a  log  house ;  transfers  of  real  estate  and  other 
facts,  make  it  clear  that  the  other  settlers  built  frame  houses. 
It  is  a  tradition  in  the  family  that  Henry  Wilson  awoke  in  his 
new  house,  the  first  time  he  slept  there,  to  see  a  wildcat,  the 
most  dreaded  of  all  beasts,  looking  in  at  the  window.  Wolves 
were  common  and  were  destructive  to  property. 

The  story  is  still  told  by  the  descendants  of  Hezekiah 
Allen,  who  lived  on  Pegan  Hill,  that  the  wolves  came  one 
Sunday  afternoon,  while  the  family  was  attending  church  at 
Natick,  and  killed  the  sheep  which  had  been  left  in  the  pasture. 
The  deer,  of  which  the  Indians  had  been  indefatigable 
hunters,  still  sported  in  the  forest.  The  black  bear  roamed  at 
will,  and  was  not  regarded  as  dangerous,  as  at  most  seasons  of 
the  year  he  would  flee  from  man  or  dog,  but  when  the  straw- 
berries were  ripe  on  Strawberry  Hill,  on  which  he  liked  to  feed, 
it  was  not  best  to  molest  bruin.  How  my  father  used  to  appeal 
to  my  imagination,  by  pointing  out  to  me  the  spot  where  the 
last  bear  was  killed,  in  the  west  part  of  the  town. 

Fur  bearing  animals  were  numerous,  of  which  the  otter 
was  common,  and  a  source  of  revenue,  as  well  as  the  mink, 
which  was  found  long  after  the  otter  had  disappeared  from  the 
brook  which  bears  its  name,  in  the  west  part  of  the  town. 

Through  transfers  of    real  estate,    and    references    therein 


iS 

made  to  Beaver  Dam,  we  are  enabled  to  establish  the  fact  that 
this  curious  and  ingenious  animal  once  lived  here,  and  built  the 
dam  across  Mill  Brook,  which  has  been  so  long  pointed  out  in 
the  east  part  of  the  town. 

Rattlesnakes  were  very  common  in  the  rocky  woods  west 
of  Hartford  street,  in  fact  they  were  very  plentiful  in  the  whole 
region.  The  house  of  Samuel  Chickering,  who  was  the  first 
white  settler  at  Powisset,  is  spoken  of  in  a  transfer  of  real 
estate  as  being  near  "Rattlesnake  Rock."  For  many  years  a 
bounty  on  rattlesnakes  was  given  by  the  town  of  Dedham,  as 
well  as  by  the  adjoining  town  of  Medfield.  The  story  is  told 
of  Capt.  Walter  Stowe,  who  lived  on  Hartford  street,  that  he 
found  on  his  farm  one  day  a  rattlesnake,  which  he  drove  with 
his  whip  across  the  line  into  Medfield,  where  he  killed  it,  and 
claimed  the  bounty  from  that  town,  as  no  bounty  was  then 
given  by  Dover. 

When  the  darkness  of  night  settled  around  these  early 
homes,  the  light  of  the  big  fire-place  was  supplemented  by  the 
burning  of  pine  knots,  which  had  been  gathered  in  the  fall  for 
a  winter's  supply.  This  candle  wood,  as  it  was  sometimes  called, 
made  a  bright  light  and  much  work  was  done  by  it  in  the  hum- 
ble homes  of  the  early  settlers,  yet  it  was  not  a  satisfactory  light, 
so  the  "Betty  lamp,"  now  seldom  seen  except  in  historical 
collections,  was  early  introduced.  This  lamp  was  hung  from  a 
hook  or  nail,  and  the  bowl  was  filled  with  grease  in  which  a 
lighted  cotton  rag  was  placed.  Later,  candles  were  dipped  in 
every  home,  followed  by  the  candle  mold,  of  which  some  fine 
specimens  are  still  found  in  town. 

Tallow  was  in  such  demand  that  it  was  worth  three  times 
as  much  a  pound  as  either  beef,  mutton  or  veal,  in  1797,  as 
shown  by  the  account  book  of  Amos  Wight,  who  lived  on  Farm 
street,  where  his  great  grandson,  George  Battelle,  now  lives. 
This  book  is  still  in  existence  and  shows  the  low  prices  of 
commodities  at  that  time,  beef,  pork  and  veal  being  worth  only 
two  pence  per  pound. 

The  candle  in  time  gave  place  to  the  whale  oil  lamp,  which 
was  followed  in  the  early  fifties  by  the  fluid  lamp,  which  proved 


^9 

exceedingly  dangerous.  There  are  those  still  living  who  bear 
the  scar  of  burns  inflicted  by  this  lamp.  Happily  it  was  soon 
followed  by  the  kerosene  lamp  which  has  proved,  up  to  the 
present  time,  so  economical,  serviceable  and  convenient. 

It  is  believed  that  Thomas  Smith,  who  lived  on  County 
street,  was  the  first  person  in  town  to  use  a  kerosene  lamp.  He 
was  so  much  pleased  with  it  that  he  invited  his  friends  and 
neighbors  from  near  and  far  to  come  in.  He  explained  to  them 
the  value  of  this  improvement,  not  only  in  the  quality  of  the 
light,  which  never  has  been  improved  upon,  but  in  the  method 
of  controlling  the  same.  The  fact  that  the  wick  immediately 
ignited,  and  could  be  raised  or  lowered  bv  simply  turning  a 
thumb  screw  was  considered  wonderful,  and  greatly  appreciated 
by  those  who  had  lighted  tallow  candles  or  lard  oil  lamps  on 
cold  winter  mornings. 

We  may  remember  that  this  territory  was  once  really  in- 
habited by  Indians.  We  read  in  the  records  of  the  town  of 
Dedham  of  their  wigwams  being  near  the  village  of  Dedham  in 
the  early  settlement  of  the  town.  Farther  west  on  the  plain  of 
Powisset,  on  the  banks  of  Charles  River,  on  the  gentle  slope  of 
Pegan  Hill,  and  near  the  fertile  meadows  of  Noanet  Brook, 
they  lived  and  led  the  peculiar  life  of  the  red  men. 

As  we  today  make  pilgrimages  to  other  places,  so  the 
Indians  long  ago  made  pilgrimages  to  this  territory,  which  the 
Apostle  Eliot  tells  us,  was  a  peculiar  hunting  ground  of  the 
Indians.  Years  afterwards  when  the  Indians  were  brought 
together  on  the  Indian  farm  at  South  Natick,  they  often  wan- 
dered from  town  to  town,  selling  baskets  and  begging  of  the 
farmers  wherever  they  went  a  drink  of  cider.  Their  request 
for  food  and  lodging  was  never  denied.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Allen 
of  Northboro,  who  was  born  in  Medfield,  not  far  from  the 
Dover  line,  said  he  remembered  seeing  seventeen  Indians  come 
out  of  the  barn  one  morning,  where  they  had  been  lodged  by 
his  father's  permission,  and  go  to  the  house  to  receive  a  break- 
fast from  his  mother. 

Riding  over  our  winding  streets  in  summer,  especially  the 


20 

Clay  Brook  road,*  as  it  has  been  called  from  time  immemor- 
ial, a  name  which  should  be  restored  to  this  street,  which  is 
5till  shaded  as  it  has  been  for  two  centuries  and  a  half,  its 
stillness  broken  only  by  the  twitter  of  birds  among  the 
branches,  one  is  reminded  of  the  "age  of  wood,"  when  almost 
-every  article  used  by  our  ancestors  was  made  of  this  material. 

Before  the  invention  of  pins,  our  grandmothers  used  the 
thorn  of  the  buck  thorn,  which  grows  wild  in  our  pastures  to- 
day, for  all  purposes  for  which  pins  were  used.  In  the  con. 
struction  of  their  dwelling  houses  wooden  pins  often  took  the 
place  of  nails  and  doors  were  hung  on  wooden  hinges. 

It  is  said  on  good  authority  that  Jesse  Fisher,  who  once 
lived  on  the  abandoned  farm  near  the  New  Mill,  and  who  sold 
it  in  1792  and  moved  to  Brewer,  Maine,  built  there  a  house  into 
which  no  article  of  iron  or  metal  entered,  it  being  constructed 
entirely  of  wood.  In  these  old  homes  the  wooden  door  lock 
fastened  the  door,  and  while  the  latch  string  was  out,  it  was  an 
invitation  to  all  to  enter.  Within  the  house  wooden  plates  and 
bowls  and  spoons  were  daily  used.  Wooden  clocks  told  the 
passing  hours,  and  Indian  brooms  made  entirely  of  wood  were 
used  to  sweep  the  floor,  while  the  besom  did  service  in  the  barn. 

Spinning  wheels  and  flax  brakes  were  made  of  wood,  and 
•wooden  vats  were  used  in  dyeing  woolen  clothes.  In  making 
butter  and  cheese  wooden  articles  alone  were  used.  Wooden 
•casks  of  one,  two  and  four  quarts,  called  runlets,  of  which  some 
good  specimens  still  remain,  were  generally  used  at  the  time  of 
the  revolution  and  for  many  years  afterwards  in  place  of  jugs. 
Wooden  tubs,  firkins,  barrels  and  casks  which  were  made  in 
town  were  used  to  hold  all  articles  of  dry  or  liquid  measure. 

Out  of  doors  the  furrows  were  turned  by  the  wooden  plow, 
and  grain  was  thrashed  with  the  wooden  flail.  Wooden  carts 
and  sleds  and  drays  did  service  in  their  turn.  During  the 
period  from  1700  to  1800  there  were  four  fcoopers  in  town  who 
followed  their  trade. 

*Now  named  Charles  River  street. 

\Asa  Mason,  Samuel  Allen,  Ebenezer  Newell  and  Asa 
jRichards. 


The  wood  a^e  has  long  since  passed  away  biit  the  associa- 
tions still  remain  and  mark  the  progress  which  has  been  made- 
While  all  the  early  settlers  cultivated  the  soil,  they  were 
only  farmers  in  a  small  way.  This  industry  has  had  an  evolu- 
tion as  well  as  all  others.  At  first  only  a  few  acres  were  culti- 
vated, what  was  necessary  to  yield  a  sufficient  supply  of  cereals 
and  vegetables  for  the  family.  This  was  before  the  introduction 
of  potatoes  when  turnips  were  used.  Little  hay  was  grown,  as 
the  farmer  often  made  no  milk  in  the  winter  season  ;  horn  cattle 
were  turned  to  browse.  One  farmer  on  Strawberry  Hill  is  said 
to  have  kept  his  cow  all  winter  on  two  baskets  of  hay. 

Oxen  were  fed  on  meadow  hay,  which  in  quality  was  much- 
better  than  at  present.  Before  the  building  of  dams  on  Charles- 
River,  the  meadows  yielded  a  fine  crop  of  what  was  called  fowl, 
meadow  grass,  which  was  highly  prized  by  the  farmers,  and  the 
worthless  meadows  of  today  were  then  assessed  as  much  per 
acre  as  any  land  in  town. 

With  the  beginning  of  ship  building  in  Boston,  which  was- 
introduced  at  an  early  time,  ship  timber  was  in  great  demand 
and  for  many  years  the  settlers  were  kept  busy  in  cutting  off 
the  forests. 

The  trees  were  stra  ght  and  tall  and  the  ground  free  from, 
underbrush,  as  the  settlers  continued  the  Indian  practice  of 
burning  the  woods  annually,  and  Henry  Wilson  and  others, 
were  often  appointed  by  the  town  of  Dedham  to  burn  the- 
woods  at  Powisset  and  other  places  in  the  vicinity.  Later 
much  wood  was  burned  into  charcoal,  for  which  there  was  a. 
steady  demand.  As  the  forests  were  cut  off,  more  and  more 
land  was  cleared  for  pasture  or  tillage,  and  in  this  way,  in  the 
course  of  a  hundred   years,  our  largest  farms  were  made. 

In  those  days  the  spinning  wheel  hummed  busily  in  every 
household,  and  on  some  farms  there  was  a  weaving  shop  where 
the  more  elaborate  things  for  the  well-to-do  were  made.  Such 
shops  existed  on  the  farms  of  Jesse  Newell*  on  Centre  street 
and    Josiah    Richards    on    Strawberry    Hill.      Thp  latter    shop 

*John  Grio'^s  and  7/iotfuis  Burra^re  tvere  also  weavers. 


became  the  fust  school  house  in  the  east  district.  It  stood  in  the 
house  yard  of  the  farm  owned  by  the  late  Miss  Mary  Bullard. 
Farmers  at  this  time  had  but  little  money.  Some  of  them 
gathered,  perhaps,  less  than  a  hundred  dollars  a  year.  "These 
were  the  times  of  independence,  poverty  and  simplicity."  The 
wife  was  expected  to  sell  butter,  eggs  and  poultry  enough  to 
clothe  herself  and  the  children.  Women  went  regularly  to  the 
Boston  market,  with  the  pillion  thrown  across  the  horse's  back. 
Such  was  the  practice  for  many  years  of  Mrs.  Seth  Mason, 
who  lived  on  Benjamin  Kenrick's  place  on  Farm  street. 

After  the  first  planting,  all  the  work  in  the  garden  was 
done  by  the  women  folks  who  looked  out  to  give  the  flax  an 
early  start.  They  also  milked  the  cows  and  made  butter  and 
cheese.  The  farmer  often  raised  his  own  meat  and  cured  it 
himself.  A  smoke  house  was  not  uncommon  on  a  farm.  A 
supply  of  fresh  meat  was  had  in  summer  through  a  system  of 
exchange.  When  a  farmer  killed  a  sheep,  a  calf,  or  a  pig,  he 
exchanged  a  portion  with  his  neighbor,  to  be  paid  back  when 
he  in  turn  slaughtered. 

An  amusing  story  is  told  of  a  farmer  who  kept  only  one 
cow,  and  yet  to  his  great  dismay,  found  that  he  had  exchanged 
for  five  quarters  of  veal ;  this,  however,  was  made  right  when 
his  cow  gave  birth  to  twins,  which  enabled  him  to  return  the 
five  quarters  and  still  have  three  quarters  left. 

Fish  abounded  in  Charles  River  before  the  introduction  of 
d\ms,  and  salmon  and  elwive  were  plentiful  in  the  spring  of  the 
year.  These  fish  were  taken  in  large  quantities  at  fording 
places  on  the  river.  Such  a  place  existed  m  the  west  part  of 
the  town  near  where  Mr.  Minot  has  built  his  boat  house. 

This  spot  was  also  designated  as  the  flax  place,  for  here 
the  flax  was  rotted,  a  process  necessary  to  the  separation  of 
the  fibre.  Hert;  the  sheep  were  also  washed  at  that  season 
when  the  Lord  tenq)ers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb.  On  many 
farms  there  was  a  blacksmith's  shop  where  the  farmer  did  his 
own  work,  and  this  saved  the  expense  of  horse  and  ox  shoeing. 
The  location  of  fourteen  shops  can  be  given. 

Springs  of  water  are  always  formed  near  the  homes  of  early 


23 

settlers,  where  a  never-failing  supply  of  water  was  had  for  the 
household  and  the  stock.  Before  wells  were  dug  women  often 
brought  all  the  water  used  in  the  household,  even  on  washing 
days,  from  the  springs.  The  men  were  away  on  the  road,  and 
the  women  looked  after  the  farm  and  the  household.  With  the 
building  of  wells  came  the  picturesque  well  sweep  and  later  the 
■windlass.  The  introduction  of  the  wooden  pump  was  more 
serviceable  in  summer  than  in  winter.  On  a  cold  winter  morn- 
ing, a  kettle  of  hot  water  was  always  in  order  with  which  to 
thaw  the  pump.  William  Pitt  Allen  and  John  Brown  were  the 
first  to  introduce  running  water  into  their  houses.  In  1797 
they  purchased  the  right  for  ten  dollars  to  take  water  from  a 
spring  on  Began  Hill,  and  their  farms  (the  Proctor  and  (  ol- 
cord  places)  are  still  supplied  from  the  same  source.  We  must 
bear  in  mind  that  nearly  all  which  now  makes  for  the  luxury 
and  convenience  of  home  life  has  been  introduced  within  the 
memory  ot  living  men.  The  last  fifty  years  has  witnessed 
more  progress  than  the  preceding  two  thousand  years  in  these 
matters. 

Without  such  things  as  matches  as  a  means  of  producing 
fire  in  the  cold  and  inclement  climate  of  New  England,  our 
fathers  lived  with  the  open  fireplace  and  no  means  of  heating 
hall  or  sleeping  room.  The  introduction  of  the  furnace,  storm 
doors  and  windows,  together  with  weather  strips,  said  to  have 
been  invented  by  Charles  Marden  of  Dover,  has  brought  Jieahh 
and  comfort  to  many  homes. 

Farming  as  shown  in  the  illustration  of  farm  tools  in  the 
Narrative  History  of  Dover,  was  of  the  most  primitive  kind. 
Grain  was  harvested  as  it  had  been  for  thousands  of  years  by 
means  of  the  sickle  and  thrashed  by  the  hand  flail. 

VVhat  was  the  life  of  the  children  in  those  early  days  ? 

Boys  staid  at  home  and  assisted  in  the  farm  work  until 
they  were  one  and  twenty,  while  the  girls  worked  out  or  re- 
mained with  their  mothers  until  they  married  and  had  homes  of 
their  own. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  life  and  character  of  a  country  is 
determined  in  a  large  degree  by  the  sports    of    the  boys.     The 


24 

Duke  of  Wellington  remarked  that  the  victory  at  Waterloo  was 
won  on  the  playfield  at  Eton.  The  American  forces  were  suc- 
cessful in  the  Revolution  because  they  had  learned  to  handle  the 
fowling  piece  in  thtir  sports.  They  had  become  a  sure  shot  in 
bringing  down  wild  game  for  the  table. 

What  effect  the  introduction  of  the  bicycle,  automobile,. 
polo,  and  golf  will  have  on  the  future  character  of  the  American 
people  remains  to  be  seen. 

The  boys  forty  years  ago  found  sport  in  a  Cornwallis,. 
which  was  held  on  the  anniversary  of  the  capture  of  Cornwallis- 
at  Yorktown. 

Such  a  celebration  is  recalled  which  took  place  at  Natick. 
There  were  organized  companies  in  uniform  representing  the 
British  Army,  and  an  equally  large  number  of  volunteers,  in  old- 
fashioned  dress  and  with  such  muskets  as  they  could  pick  up, 
who  represented  the  American  Army,  and  there  was  a  parade 
and  a  sham  fight  which  ended  in  victory  for  the  Americans  over 
the  British.  After  the  engagement,  Cornwallis  and  his  troops 
were  paraded  as  captives. 

I  am  glad  that  the  old  training  field,  which  meant  so  much 
to  the  colonial  life  of  the  people,  has  been  marked  with  an  ap- 
propriate bowlder. 

"  On  the  village  gr*»eii  falls  the  elm  trees'  shade. 
Where  the  minute  men  mustered  in  days  gone  by.' 

And  I  wish  you  would  emulate  the  example   of  the  sister 

town  of  Norwood,  which  was  once  with  Dover  a  parish  in  Ded- 

ham,  by  placing  field  bowlders,  suitably  inscribed,  upon  historic 

spots,   thus   stimulating   the   patriotism   and    reverence  of  your 

citizens  for  heroic  deeds  and  noble  sacrifice 

"  where  great  deeds  were  done, 
A  power  abides  transferred  from  sire  to  son." 

I    have    noted    a    recent  tendency  to  call  the  land  which 

Henry  Tisdale  and  his  wife  deeded  to  the  town  of  Dover  in  179- 

•'  for  the  common  use  and  benefit  of  the  inhabitants  forever,"  by  • 

the  name  of  Central  Park.     In  accordance  with  ancient  usage,. 

which  originated  with  our  ancestors  across  the  waters,  all  such 

lands  were  called  commons,  a  word  which  signifies  the  common 

or  general  fields  set  apart  for  the  inhabitants,  of  which  no  one 


25 

has  the  right  to  demand  a  division.  In  England  this  epithet 
was  applied  to  common  lands  during  the  semi-feudal  period,  and' 
has  been  used  for  generations  in  France  and  Spain. 

The  mother  town  of  Dedham  had  its  common  as  early  as 
1 641,  and  when,  in  1637,  the  inhabitants  wanted  to  confine  their 
swine,  it  was  voted  to  erect  a  "  hog  park,"  but  the  land  set  apart 
for  the  use  of  all  has  always  been  called  a  common.  This  word 
had  a  special  significance  among  the  early  settlers.  All  early 
colonial  laws  were  called  common  laws,  and  were  the  unwritten 
laws  of  England.  Much  of  the  arable  land  was  called  cow  and 
sheep  commons.  When  schools  were  established  they  were- 
called,  as  you  know,  common  schools,  without  reference  to  the 
studies  pursued,  but  meaning  that  they  were  for  the  common  use 
of  the  children.  While  all  other  public  areas  in  town  may  ap- 
propriately be  called  parks,  I  hope  that  Dover  Common  will  ever 
retain  the  name  given  it  by  our  fathers  as  representing  a  custom 
which  has  come  down  from  the  past,  and  by  which  this  piece  of 
land  has  been  known  for  a  century. 

On  the  training  field  the  townspeople  assembled  for  the  May- 
training  when  the  respective  companies  of  the  state  paraded  in. 
their  own  towns.  None  enjoyed  this  occasion  more  than  the 
boys  who  feasted  on  gingerbread  and  assembled  at  an  early 
hour  on  the  green  to  see  the  company  form  in  line  and  go 
through  their  military  drill. 

The  old  tavern  across  the  way  was  never  quite  so  full  of 
patrons  as  on  these  days  when  the  whole  community  turned  out 
for  the  muster.  The  street  parade  was  made  with  the  captain 
at  the  head  of  the  company,  fife  and  drum  next,  and  then  the. 
rank  and  file  keeping  step,  proud  of  their  uniforms  and  guns.. 
The  fife  and  drum  were  the  same,  perchance,  which  in  years 
gone  by  had  inspired  the  minute-men  and  cheered  the  old  con- 
tinentals on  many  a  battlefield  of  the  Revolution,  when  the  fate,, 
not  merely  of  the  colonies  but  of  a  great  nation  yet  to  be,  de- 
pended upon  the  men  of  New  England. 

But  the  old  training  field  so  zealously  guarded  from  en- 
croachment by  our  ancestors,  no  longer  receives  the  tread  of 
martial  feet.     The  echo  of  the  fife  and  drum,  which  awakened. 


26 

:such  thrills  of  excitement  and  enthusiasm  in  our  fathers,  has 
faded  away  and  the  soldiers  have  broken  ranks  and  the  muster 
is  ended. 

Truly  the  boys  on  those  old  farms  led  a  hard  life.  Often  at 
four  or  five  years  of  age  they  rode  the  horse  in  hoeing  time  for 
weary  hours  back  and  forth  between  the  rows  of  growing  corn, 
:and  at  ten  many  drove  oxen  for  heavy  plowing. 

In  summer  they  were  up  by  times  to  drive  the  cows  to  pas- 
ture ;  and  in  haying  time  they  turned  the  grindstone  before 
breakfast  to  sharpen  the  scythe. 

Farm  boys  had  a  rest  in  winter  as  there  was  little  to  be 
"done,  except  to  care  for  the  stock  and  work  up  a  year's  supply 
<of  wood.  At  this  time  boys  and  girls  took  advantage  of  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  often  attended  until  they  were  eighteen  or 
■twenty  years  of  age. 

Meagre  though  the  education  was,  we  should  never  forget 
the  labors  and  the  sacrifice  of  our  fathers  in  gaining  educational 
facilities  for  their  children. 

Individuals  at  first  built  a  schoolhouse  on  Haven  street  to 
.accommodate  the  moving  school  which  existed  for  a  time  in 
•Dedham.  Bat  soon  after  the  organization  of  the  Parish  in  174S 
■the  residents  were  so  anxious  to  have  a  parish  school  that  they 
petitioned  the  General  Court  for  permission  to  build  a  school- 
iiouse,  which,  after  much  labor,  was  completed  in  '763. 

A  little  later  steps  were  taken  to  build  schoolhouses  in  the 
lEast  and  West  parts  of  the  town,  but  the  lowering  clouds  of  the 
Revolution  forbade  such  an  expenditure ;  however,  after  the 
^separation  from  Dedham  in  1784,  schoolhouses  were  immediately 
ibuilt  in  these  districts. 

Whoever  studies  the  evolution  of  our  schools  will  find 
through  what  a  slow  and  laborious  process  they  have  been 
-evolved,  and  what  a  sacrifice  has  been  made  to  bring  them  up 
.to  their  present  efficiency.  Remembering  the  work  of  the 
(fathers  I  trust  it  will  be  the  purpose  of  this  town  in  the  future, 
as  in  the  past,  to  educate  its  children  as  far  as  possible  at  home. 

Education  is  something  more  than  going  to  school  a  cer- 
:tain  number  of  weeks  each  year,  something  more  than  knowing 


27 

how  to  read  and  to  write,  as  illustrated  in  the  lives  of  the  people 
of  this  Parish  from  the  start.  Take  the  hill  town  academy  of 
fifty  years  ago.  Its  curriculum  was  so  narrow  that  the  average 
teacher  of  today  would  utterly  condemn  it ;  its  instruction  was 
often  poor  and  the  studies  were  pursued  in  ways  utterly  foreign 
to  present  methods,  and  its  standards  were  so  low  that  it  would 
not  now  be  tolerated,  yet  it  produced  a  class  of  men  and  wo- 
men who  have  largely  made  the  New  England  of  today,  and 
whose  influence  is  still  felt  in  the  remotest  parts  of  our  country. 
As  the  life  is  more  than  meat,  and  the  body  more  than  raiment, 
so  education  is  something  more  than  courses  of  study  and  per- 
centages. 

The  people  of  this  town  have  always  had  the  character  to 
do  something  for  themselves  and  humanity,  the  industry  to 
achieve  results  in  life,  and  the  patriotism  to  defend  their  coun- 
try with  their  means  and  lives  when  the  occasion  demanded. 

From  the  reaaer,  arithmetic  and  spelling  book  they  got 
their  education,  meagre  at  best,  but  not  altogether  inadequate, 
as  subsequent  events  have  shown. 

In  the  development  of  educational  advantages  it  was  the 
boy  who  first  gained  a  college  education.  Later  his  sister  had 
the  advantage  of  the  New  England  Academy  and  the  State  Nor- 
mal School.  The  first  man  to  graduate  from  college  in  this 
town  was  Nathaniel  Battelle,  who  graduated  from  Harvard  in 
1765;  the  first  woman  was  Annie  M.  McGill  (Mrs.  Albert  P- 
Morse),  who  graduated  from  Ripon  College  in  1884,  more  than 
a  century  later. 

It  is  well  for  us  to  consider  "the  intellectual  bondage  of 
colonial  and  revolutionary  days."  The  years  previous  to  the 
Revolution  were  dreary  and  barren,  especially  in  books  for  the 
young.  The  men  "who  crossed  the  sea  in  quest  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty  came  not  to  write,  but  to  do  '"  For  the  first 
one  hundred  and  sixty  years  of  New  England  life  nearly  all 
books  were  brought  from  England,  although  some  reprints  were 
early  produced  here.  There  were  few,  if  any,  books  for  child- 
ren. The  first  book  read  by  the  children  of  this  Parish  was  the 
New    England    Primer  which    appeared  near    the  close    of  the 


28 

lytb  century.  There  are  some  excellent  specimens  of  this  mar- 
velous book  still  in  existence  which  were  used  here  at  an  early 
time.  All  the  youth  knew  of  reading  was  gained  from  its  pages. 
Later,  school  text  books  were  used  and  the  children  had  Webs- ' 
ter's  Speller,  The  Young  Ladies'  Accidence,  Murry's  English 
Reader  and  Morse's  Geography. 

Children's  books  were  small  in  size  and  bound  with  covers 
which  were  made  of  bits  of  wood  and  held  by  a  coarse  leather 
back  Over  the  wood  was  often  placed  blue  paper  or  some 
hideous  wall  paper. 

After  the  Revolution  this  poverty  of  literature  was  gradu- 
ally enriched  by  the  pen  of  New  England  writers,  until  its 
wealth  can  be  realized  only  through  the  inspection  of  a  great 
library.  Some  who  have  been  connected  with  this  town  have  been 
prolific  writers  of  children's  books,  namely,  Horatio  Alger,  who- 
was  for  a  time  minister  of  the  First  church,  the  Rev.  P.  C. 
Headley,  for  several  years  pastor  of  the  Evangelical  Congrega- 
tional church  and  Miss  A.  G.  Plimpton,  still  a  resident  of  Dover. 

There  was  early  established  here  a  Proprietors'  or  Sub- 
scription Library.  These  libraries  orginated  in  the  fertile  mind 
of  Benjamin  Franklin. 

The  first  Proprietors'  Library  in  New  England  is  said  tO' 
have  been  established  in  Pomfret,  Conn.,  in  1738.  In  Massa- 
chusetts, these  libraries  became  common  about  a  half  century 
later. 

There  was  a  library  here  of  several  hundred  volumes  in 
18 1 2,  which  had  been  organized  some  years  earlier.  This 
library  was  fostered  by  the  town  minister,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ralph 
Sanger,  and  it  became  a  power  in  the  community. 

I  have  learned  in  many  ways  of  the  cultivated  social  life  of 
the  people  of  this  town  seventy-iive  years  ago,  when  they  found 
their  social  life  among  themselves,  working  together  to  build  up 
the  primary  conditions  of  civilization. 

We  must  not  think  of  the  social  life  of  our  fathers  as  rude, 
uncouth  and  monotonous,  hard  though  it  was,  for  with  it  all, 
there  was  often  a  dignified  courtesy  that  is  wanting  today. 

This  library  was    patronized    by    people    from  out  of  town. 


29 

especially  the  residents  of  South  Natick,  and  its  great  power  for 
good  has  been  ackowledged  by  residents  of  that  place,  especially 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Newell,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Calvin  E.  Stowe,  and  the 
Hon.  Ames  Perry,  the  late  librarian  of  the  Rhode  Island  His- 
torical Society. 

I  love  to  think  that  Dr.  Stowe 's  reading  of  these  books  in 
his  youth  had  much  to  do  with  creating  his  literary  taste,  and 
in  cutivating  that  love  for  historical  lore  which  he  so  abundantly 
possessed. 

The  Oldtown  Fireside  Stories  of  his  are  not  only  a  part  of 
Natick  history,  but  a  part  of  Dover  history  as  well.  They  give 
a  true  picture  drawn  from  life  of  the  social,  moral,  religious  and 
economic  condition  of  New  England  life  as  Dr.  Stowe  saw  it  in 
his  boyhood. 

Residents  of  this  town  were  familiar  with  many  of  these 
stories  long  before  they  appeared  from  the  pen  of  Harriet 
Beecher  Stowe.  These  are  the  stories  that  Dr.  Stowe  told  his 
children  for  many  years,  written  out  in  almost  the  exact  words 
in  which  he  told  them. 

Dr.  Caryl's  old  saddle  bag,  in  your  historical  collection, 
which  contains  some  of  the  remedies  used  in  his  time,  reminds 
us  of  the  great  progress  that  has  been  made  in  the  practice  of 
medicine.  Cupping  and  bleeding  were  universally  practiced  in 
Dr.  Caryl's  day.  In  many  families  there  was  a  bowl  which  was 
kept  in  the  cupboard  and  used  again  and  again  in  bleeding  the 
sick.  Blistering  was  common,  and  caster  oil,  calomel,  ipecac, 
salts,  and  senna,  sulphur  and  molasses  were  the  remedies  most 
used.  What  a  wonderful  advance  has  also  been  made  in  the 
care  of  the  injured  and  insane  during  the  last  century. 

Houses  are  still  standing  with  staples  in  their  walls,  which 
were  driven  to  confine  insane  persons,  as  there  were  no  asylums 
in  those  days,  and  here  through  long  years  they  were  confined 
■by  being  tied,  until  death  gave  them  a  release.  I  myself  have 
seen  staples  which  were  driven  into  oak  beams  to  support  those, 
who  before  the  discovery  of  anaesthetics  had  to  submit  to  sur- 
gical operations  and  whose  shrieks  were  heard  a  half  mile  away. 
How  these  rude  appliances  appeal  to  our  imagination  and  mark 


30 

the  progress  that  was  made  under  19th  century  civilization. 

Martin  Cheney  who  was  born  in  1792  on  Mr.  Coughlan's 
farm,  on  Walpole  street,  and  who  came  very  near  losing  his  life 
when  eleven  years  of  age,  gave  the  following  account  of  a 
surgical  operation  at  that  time  : 

"The  doctor*  retired  to  the  fields,  where  he  remained 
nearly  an  hour.  When  he  returned  he  called  for  pen  and  ink, 
and  made  a  mark  on  the  thigh  where  he  was  going  to  cut.  My 
mother  and  sisters  left  the  room,  all  the  family  I  think  except 
my  father.  The  assistant  surgeon  said  I  must  be  held.  To  my 
surprise  and  that  of  all  present,  the  doctor  said,  « No  he  will 
bear  it,  I  know  he  will,'  and  such  was  the  confidence  and 
courage  he  inspired  in  me  that  I  did  endure  it  without  a 
groan." 

The  last  hundred  years  has  witnessed  more  progress  in 
agriculture,  that  occupation  which  antidates  every  other  in- 
dustry of  the  race,  than  the  preceding  three  thousand  years. 
In  no  one  thing  has  there  been  greater  progress  than  in  cattle 
food,  the  ensilage  of  forage,  to  which  a  resident  of  this  town, 
the  late  Samuel  M.  Colcord,  made  no  mean  contribution  in  his 
silo  governer.  In  the  feeding  of  farm  stock  the  last  century 
opened  with  dry  herds  during  the  winter  season,  and  closed 
with  the  problem  solved  of  winter  feeding. 

It  is  said  that  among  the  town  records  of  Hadley,  Mass., 
is  an  entry  to  the  effect  that  the  cows  gave  so  little  milk 
through  the  winter,  that  the  babies  had  to  take  cider  as  a 
substitute;  now  the  winter  has  been  made  the  principal  dairy 
season  in  that,  as  well  as  other  towns.  Contrast  the  butter 
making  of  our  mothers,  the  tedious  setting  of  milk  in  shallow 
pans  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  the  removing  of  the  cream  with 
a  perforated  tin,  the  churning  with  a  dash  churn,  and  the  knead, 
ing  of  the  butter  by  hand,  with  the  new  process  of  converting 
fresh  milk  into  butter  in  one  and  a  half  minutes,  and  the 
separation  of  cream  of  any  desired  thickness  without  waiting 
for  the  milk  to  cool.  " 


""Dr.  Miller  of  franklin. 


31 

A  great  change  has  come  over  the  industrial  organizations, 
in  this  rural  town  ;  the  little  manufacturing  plants,  mills  and 
workshops  which  once  offered  employment  and  diversity  ire 
country  occupations,  have  one  by  one  disappeared  until  the 
Portable  House  Factory,  which  certainly  is  a  modern  invention^ 
is  the  only  one  that  remains. 

The  Noanet  Mills  on  Charles  River  were  the  successors  of 
a  long  line  of  mill  enterprises,  the  first  of  which  it  has  been  said 
was  established  at  Charles  River  Village  soon  after  King 
Philip's  War.  The  earliest  mill  of  which  we  have  any  record  at 
that  place,  w^as  situated  on  the  Dover  side  of  the  river,  and  was 
in  operation  in  1733.  A  fulling  mill  was  soon  added  to  meet 
the  demand  of  the  times  for  the  fulling  of  woolen  cloth.  This 
was  followed  a  century  ago  by  the  rolling  mill,  nail  factory, 
paper  mills,  etc.,  which  in  the  past  have  employed  so  many 
persons. 

A  saw  mill,  which  was  used  for  the  squaring  of  two  sides  of 
pieces  of  ship  timber,  was  established  on  Mill  Brook  on  Wilson- 
dale  street,  previous  to  1690.  Weaving  shops,  coopers'  shops, 
blacksmith  shops,  cabinet  makers  shops,  a  brush  factory,  whip 
factory  and  innumerable  cider  mills,  added  a  little  employment 
and  variety  to  labor  ;  while  a  tannery,  currying  shop,  saw  mills,, 
a  shingle  mill,  wheelwright's  shop,  shoe  factory,  keg  mill,  glue 
works  and  shoe  filling  factories,  broke  the  monotony  of  farm' 
lite. 

Little  shoeshops  abounded  in  the  sixties,  which  gave  em- 
ployment to  many  young  men ;  the  women  in  many  homes 
closed  the  seams  of  shoes  by  hand,  which  occupation  was^ 
followed  by  the  braiding  of  straw,  the  making  of  palm  leaf  hats 
and  the  sewing  of  straw  bonnets.  All  this  has  passed  away  to 
the  advantage  of  the  home  and  woman-kind.  We  may  still 
rejoice  that  this  is  a  rural  community,  and  one  not  effected  by 
the  decadence  which  has  visited  so  many  New  England  towns,. 
a  community  which  still  bears  to  a  remarkable  degree  the  respect 
which  it  bore  at  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  The 
population  is  scarcely  greater  today  than  in  1776.  There  are 
but  a  few  more  houses  in    the    center   of   the  town  than  at  that 


32 

"Sime.  The  waters  of  our  brooks  still  run  unhampered  to  the 
ocean,  with  fording  places  as  of  old,  where  beasts  of  burden 
•5till  quench  their  thirst.  The  view  from  the  crest  of  Pegan 
Hill  is  still  unbroken  and  still  unsurpassed.  The  meeting  house 
with  its  heaven  pointing  spire,  still  crowns  meeting  house  hill 
as  of  yore.  The  old  tavern  with  all  its  suggestions  of  past 
fliospitality  still  occupies  its  ancient  site.  The  old  training- 
ifield  is  unencroached  upon,  and  the  ancient  burying  ground 
which  contains  the  precious  dust  of  our  ancestors,  suggests  the 
peace  and  repose  which  has  come  to  those  who  rest  from  their 
labors. 

"i'he  last  one  of  the  old  horse  blocks  has  been  removed, 
but  the  pound  still  remains  and  is  a  centre  of  interest,  as  an 
institution  of  the  fathers,  which  v;as  transplanted  to  this  country 
and  has  come  down  through  a  thousand  years  of  the  past. 

Many  of  our  roads  still  wind  as  of  old,  under  bending 
branches,  and  the  charm  of  Powisset  plain  and  Noanet  Brook, 
with  their  associations  of  Indian  life,  still  remain.  Civilization 
is  always  marked  by  the  progress  which  a  people  make  in  the 
means  of  communication,  the  building  of  roads.  Bushnell  says: 
'"  the  road  is  that  physical  sign  or  symbol  by  which  you  will 
best  understand  any  age  or  people.  If  they  have  no  roads  they 
are  savages,  for  the  road  is  the  creation  of  man  and  a  type  of 
civilized  society. 

The  Dedham  settlers  paid  careful  attention  to  highways 
from  the  start.  In  1638  it  was  ordered  "that  diligent  and 
<:areful  respect  should  be  had  to  the  laying  out  of  all  highways, 
that  they  may  be  well  marked  and  dooled  and  the  breaths  re. 
corded."  Nevertheless  it  is  impossible  to  determine  when 
many  of  our  roads  were  laid  out  and  built. 

They  were  at  first  but  Indian  paths  or  cartways,  which 
were  later  developed  into  roads.  The  town  of  Dedham  in  laying 
out  a  tract  of  land  for  divison  among  the  proprietors  in  1660, 
voted  that  it  should  begin  at  the  end  of  the  plain  next  to  Straw- 
Tjerry  Hill  ****  at  the  south  end  of  the  next  hill,  and  so  proceed 
.according  as  the  several  plots  are  marked.  As  this  land  was 
•early  improved,  there  was   at   least   a   cartway  from  Dedham  to 


33 

Strawberry  Hill  at  an  early  time,  which  was  later  extended  in 
several  directions. 

In  1 700-1  fence  viewers  were  chosen  for  "  Edward  Richards' 
farm,  (now  the  Burgess  place  in  Dedham)  Ralph  Days'  ground, 
and  "the  other  fields  Natick  ward."  Ralph  Day's  "field"  as 
it  was  sometimes  called,  was  at  the  foot  of  Strawberry  Hill 
street,  and  was  long  known  as  the  Day  homestead.  A  com- 
mittee of  the  town  of  Dedham  appointed  "  to  lay  out  a  road 
over  Great  Brook,  near  Natick,  toward  Began  Hill,"  reported  in 
1687  that  they  had  laid  it  out  from  Ralph  Day's  land,  where  it 
is  now  drawn  to  their  own  land  ***  and  so  by  Thomas  Battelle's 
land,  over  the  brook  to  hard  land  where  it  was  later  connected 
with  Main  street,  which  was  a  part  of  the  road  extending  from 
Medfield  to  South  Natick.  This  lay  out  was  evidently  Haven 
street,  with  that  part  of  Dedham  street,  which  extends  east 
from  Haven  street  to  the  foot  of  Strawberry  Hill. 

In  1668  in  granting  land  to  Eleazer  Lusher,  W'hich  lay 
between  the  land  of  Thomas  Battelle  and  Charles  River  in  part, 
and  the  great  Brook,  a  long  ridge  or  piece  of  high  land,  was 
reserved  for  a  cartway  to  the  bridge  over  the  brook.  On  the 
23rd  of  September,  1695,  a  committee  laid  out  a  way  from 
Noanet  Brook  where  the  way  was  then  drawn,  to  a  run  of 
water,  and  so  over  Clay  Brook  and  the  bridge,  through  the  land 
granted  to  Major  Lusher,  to  the  ridge  of  high  land,  as  it  was 
marked  on  the  south  side  of  the  way  to  the  high  bank  near  the 
river.  This  layout  was  doubtless  Cross  and  Charles  River 
streets.     This  street  was  later  extended  to  Natick. 

While  we  are  unable  to  positively  assert  which  one  of  the 
above  roads  was  first  traveled,  yet  the  fact  that  the  Clay  Brook 
road,  led  by  the  bank  of  the  river, — the  streams  being  usually 
followed  in  early  settlements, — and  had  at  least  one  little  farm 
that  of  Andrew  Dewin,  which  was  occupied  in  1669,  coupled 
with  the  record  that  provision  was  made  for  this  road  in  early 
grants  of  land,  strongly  points  to  the  Clay  Brook  road,  as  the 
older  of  the  two. 

Daniel  Morse  of  Medfield  bought  about  1656,  eight  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  in  Sherborn,  adjoining  Charles  River  where  he 


34 

soon  settled.  February  12,  1658,  the  town  of  Dedham  granted  to 
Daniel  Morse  "so  much  timber  near  Charles  River  as  might  be 
ht  to  build  a  bridge  over  the  said  river  over  against  his  farm 
near  Natick  "  because  "  timber  is  very  scarce  in  his  farm."  This 
timber  was  for  Farm  Bridge.  The  Dedham  settlers  were  doubt- 
less willing  to  make  this  grant,  because  they  had  three  thousand 
four  hundred  acres  of  land  in  the  east  part  of  Sherborn  on 
Charles  River.  As  Mr.  Morse  continued,  for  many  years,  ta 
attend  church  at  Medfield,  he  needed  this  bridge,  which  he 
doubtless  built  soon  after  receiving  his  grant  of  timber. 

County  street,  as  a  part  of  the  road  running  from  Dedham 
to  Medfiela,  was  early  used ;  while  Walpole  street  was  in 
existence  on  the  19th  of  April,  1775,  when  the  Walpole  Minute 
Men  marched  over  this  road  on  their  way  to  meet  the  retreating 
British  troops. 

Attention  was  called  at  the  outset  to  the  five  oldest  farms 
in  town,  (naming  them  in  the  order  of  their  settlement)  that  we 
might  in  imagination  picture  to  ourselves  the  life  there  led  by 
those  early  settlers. 

I  want  now  to  call  your  attention  to  the  five  oldest  houses 
in  Dover.  Having  made  this  subject  a  careful  study,  I 
believe  I  am  correct  in  my  estimate.  The  oldest  house  stand- 
ing today  is  the  one  on  Smith  street  now  owned  by  Robert  S* 
Minot,  where  the  speaker  was  born.  This  house  first  stood  in 
Medfield,  on  the  farm  of  David  Morse,  and  was  occupied  by  his 
son,  Seth  Morse,  who  was  drowned,  with  two  sons  in  Charles 
River  in  1753.  William  S.  Tilden,  the  historian  of  Medfield, 
gives  it  as  his  opinion,  derived  from  history  and  tradition,  that 
this  house  was  built  perhaps  in  1730  but  not  later  than  1741. 
It  was  afterwards  occupied  by  Daniel  Perry  who  married  in 
1758,  Thankful,  sister  of  Seth  Morse.  As  there  were  other 
buildings  on  the  original  farm,  this  house  was  sold  about  1790 
to  Amos  Wight,  who  moved  it,  together  with  a  barn,  to  the 
west  part  of  Dover.  Daniel  Perry,  who  occupied  this  old  house 
for  many  years,  was  Medfied's  most  prominent  citizen  during 
the  period  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  was  for  eight  years 
a  representative  to  the  General  Court,  also  judge  of  the  Court 


35 

of  Common  Pleas.  He  was  a  member  of  the  committee  appoint, 
ed  in  1776  to  instruct  their  Representative  to  favor  measures  to 
resist  taxation  without  representation,  also  one  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Correspondence  in  1774,  and  a  delegate  to  the 
Provincial  Congress  held  at  Watertown  in  1775.  He  was  a 
lieutenant  in  the  Revolutionary  Army. 

These  old  floors  have  resounded  to  the  tread  of  many  a 
patriot  of  the  Revolution,  and  these  old  rafters  have  echoed  a 
voice  which  was  raised  for  constitutional  rights.  Memories  and 
associations  of  a  remote  time  still  haunt  the  old  house,  and  long 
may  it  stand  as  a  shrine  where  our  children's  children  may 
gather. 

The  next  oldest  house  is  that  of  John  Glassett  on  Haven 
street,  which  was  built  in  1747  by  Joseph  Chickering.  The 
third  is  that  of  John  A.  Sullivan  on  Strawberry  Hill,  which  was 
built  by  David  Fuller  in  1755.  The  old  tavern,  in  the  centre  of 
the  town,  stands  fourth  in  the  list,  having  been  built  by  Danie^ 
Whiting  in  1761.  Mr.  Whiting  rendered  the  most  distinguished 
service  of  any  citizen  of  Dedham  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
attaining  to  the  rank  of  a  lieutenant-colonel.  The  house  of 
George  Ellis  Chickering  on  Haven  street,  which  was  built  in 
1767,  and  remodelled  just  a  hundred  years  afterwards,  completes 
the  list.  Here  can  be  seen  the  picturesque  well  sweep,  and  one 
may  drink  from  a  well  which  for  more  than  two  centuries  has 
quenched  the  thirst  of  man  and  beast.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact 
that  all  of  these  old  houses  were  once  owned  and  occupied  by 
Revolutionary  soldiers. 

Have  you  a  picture  of  the  house  where  you  were  born  ?  If 
not,  get  one  if  you  can,  as  it  will  be  of  priceless  value  to  you, 
ever  helping  you  and  your  children,  through  the  imagination,  to 
realize  something  of  the  heroic  sacrifices  that  were  made  for  you 
on  that  spot,  ever  reminding  you  of  a  father's  watchful  care,  a 
mother's  tender  love,  a  sister's  affection,  or  a  brother's  com- 
panionship. 

I  have  now  gathered  up,  in  a  brief  way,  some  of  the  events 
of  earlier  years,  that  future  generations  may  learn  the  story  of 
the  past,  as  it  has  been  told  here  for  many  years,  by  those  who 


36 

were  to  the  manor  born.  We  need  often  in  our  imagination  to 
return  to  the  house  of  our  fathers,  the  home  of  our  childhood 
and  there  renew  the  associations  of  those  tender  years. 

"  Lord  God  of  Hosts,  be  with  us  yet. 
Lest  we  forget,  lest  we  forget." 


The  President  called  upon  one  of  the  invited  guests,  the 
Rev.  Calvin  S.  Locke  of  Westwood,  acting  pastor  of  the 
First  Parish  Church  in  the  years  1869  to  1880,  who  gave 
reminiscences  of  his  experiences  while  he  was  here.  We  are 
sorry  that  we  cannot  give  in  full  his  very  interesting  remarks 
which  being  impromptu  cannot  now  be  gathered  up.  The  same 
with  the  remarks  of  the  next  speaker  from  our  invited  guests^ 
Rev.  Edwin  Leonard  of  Melrose,  who  was  pastor  of  the  Evan- 
gelical  Congregational  Church  during  the  years  1892  to  1898. 

In  closing  the  morning  exercises,  the  President  invited  the 
audience  to  join  in  singing  "Old  Lang  Syne." 

An  intermission  followed,  giving  the  guests  an  opportunity 
to  renew  old  acquaintances.  The  informality  of  the  basket 
lunch  added  to  the  sociability  of  the  hour.  The  Heinlein 
Cadet  Band  of  South  Natick  gave  an  open  air  concert  during 
the  intermission.  The  exercises  of  the  afternoon  were  opened 
by  the  singing  of  "  Home  Sweet  Home."  The  President  then 
gave  an  interesting  account  of  the  Old  Pound  and  Powder 
House. 


THE  POUND 


The  pound  is  situated  just  back  of  the  railroad  station, 
near  the  Unitarian  church.  It  was  built  of  large  stone  and  had 
a  heavy  oak  gate  with  a  large,  strong  lock.  It  was  built  for  the 
purpose  of  confining  stray  cattle  that  might  be  found  on  the 
highway  or  had  broken  into  a  neighboring  field  and  destroyed 
growing  crops.  This  happening  much  oftener  in  years  past  than 
now,  as  barbed  and  other  wire  were  not  in  use,  the  fences  being 
less  secure.  Cattle  driven  to  the  pound  were  locked  in  by  the 
pound  keeper  and  a  fee  of  fifty    cents    required  of    the  owner 


37 

before  they  were  liberated.  When  there  was  a  large  herd  the 
expense  amounted  to  quite  a  sum. 

It  sometimes  happened  that  a  person  had  a  feud  against 
another,  if  he  could  rind  his  enemy's  cattle  on  the  highway  and 
drive  them  to  the  pound,  the  expense  was  a  good  way  of 
settling  the  affair.  It  was  the  custom  to  choose  a  pound 
keeper  every  year.  The  victim  for  this  office  was  always  the 
last  married  man  before  the  annual  March  meeting,  no  matter  if 
he  were  a  minister,  he  had  to  stand  for  a  year,  as  there  was  no 
resigning. 

A  few  years  since  the  pound  was  partially  demolished. 
By  the  vote  of  the  town  it  has  since  been  rebuilt  and  is  now  in 
good  condition  and  will,  we  hope,  always  be  preserved  for  its 
historical  value. 


THE  POWDER  HOUSE 


The  powder  house  was  situated  a  short  distance  from  here 
on  Walpole  street,  on  a  ledge,  on  land  now  owned  by  Mrs. 
Patrick  McNamara.  It  was  built  of  brick  with  a  roof  of  wood, 
and  was  for  the  storage  of  powder.  There  was  no  door  on  it  or 
powder  in  it  as  I  remember.  When  a  small  boy  I  used  to  go 
inside,  but  quickly  ran  out  for  fear  it  would  blow  up,  although 
there  was  no  powder  in  it,  but  the  name  powder  house  gave  me 
that  impression. 

Many  years  since,  by  vote  of  the  town,  it  was  sold  at 
auction  for  a  small  amount,  much  to  the  regret  of  us  all  today, 
but  there  was  not  as  much  interest  taken  at  that  time  in  those 
things,  or  historic  value  placed  upon  them  as  at  the  present 
time. 


A  violin  solo.  First  Part  to  Concerto,  Ch.  de  Beriot,  was 
given  by  Miss  Idalian  Howard  of  Natick,  followed  by  a  paper 
upon  the  Old  Parsonage  by  Mrs.  Lizzie  C  bickering. 


THE  OLD  PARSONAGE. 

The   house  which   we  know  as  the  old  parsonage  was  built 
by  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Caryl,  the  first  minister  settled   in  what 


38 

was  the  fourth  precinct  of  Dedham  and  known  as  Springfield 
parish.  He  was  the  son  of  Benjamin  and  grandson  of  Benjamin 
and  Mary  "Carril,"  and  was  born  in  Hopkinton  in  1732.  He 
studied  theology  with  Rev.  Henry  Messenger  at  Wrentham  and 
graduated  from  Harvard  in  the  class  of  1761. 

He  was  well  known  to  the  people  here,  having  preached  as 
■one  of  the  "supplies,"  on  which  they  had  depended  while  build- 
ing their  "meeting-house" — a  period  of  ten  years.  Having 
finally  succeeded  in  finishing  it  in  the  spring  of  1762  they  de- 
cided to  ask  him  to  settle  among  them  as  their  pastor. 

In  those  days  choosing  a  minister  was  a  serious  undertak- 
ing. Candidates  often  preached  for  months  before  they  received 
a  call,  and  if,  after  due  consideration  they  decided  to  accept, 
their  acceptance  meant  being  willing  to  settle  for  life.  Mr. 
Caryl's  letter  of  acceptance  is  dated  September  fifth,  1762.  He 
■was  ordained  on  the  tenth  of  the  following  month,  people  com- 
ing from  far  and  near  to  attend  the  ordination. 

On  the  ninth  of  December,  the  same  year,  he  married  Mrs. 
Sarah  (Messenger)  KoUock,  of  Wrentham,  a  daughter  of  his 
former  tutor,  the  Rev.  Henry  Messenger,  and  widow  of  Dr. 
Cornelius  Kollock.  She  was  eight  years  older  than  Mr.  Caryl 
and  had  one  son  fifteen  years  of  age. 

For  a  time  they  lived  in  Wrentham  (on  the  farm  purchased 
by  Dr.  Kollock  in  1745,  while  he  was  still  a  student),  Mr.  Caryl 
travelling  on  horseback  over  the  roads  between  his  farm  and 
his  pulpit. 

According  to  the  deed  dated  July  nineteen,  1764  he  "pur- 
chased of  John  Griggs,  weaver,  for  the  sum  of  2  20;/;",  lawful 
money,  his  homestead  and  about  forty  acres  of  land,  being  part 
upland  and  part  meadow."  Later,  in  1772,  he  added  twenty- 
three  and  one-half  acres,  and  in  1788  fourteen  acres  adjoining 
the  land  first  purchased. 

In  tlie  old  house  which  was  on  the  farm  when  purchased 
their  two  children  were  born: — Benjamin,  born  December  sixth, 
1764,  died  September  twelfth,  1775,  eleven  years  of  age.  The 
stone  which  marks  his  grave  is  close  by  those  of  his  father  and 
mother    in    the  old   burying-ground.     George,  born  April  first, 


39 

1769,  died  August  ninth,  1S29.  The  old  house  was  fast  falling 
to  decay  but  they  continued  to  occupy  it  till  the  present  one 
was  built  in  1777. 

The  farm,  principally  the  additional  acres  purchased  in 
1772,  furnished  all  the  lumber  for  the  new  house  :  oak  for  frame 
and  covering  boards  and  pine  for  floors,  interior  finish  and  other 
wood  work. 

Building  a  house  was  a  much  more  tedious  process  then 
than  now.  All  shingles  were  shaved  by  hand  and  laths  split 
from  boards.  Clapboards,  doors,  frames,  window  sashes,  pan- 
nelling  and  moulding  must  all  be  worked  out  by  hand  by  the 
■"carpenter  and  joiner,"  who  was  always  his  own  lather  and  of- 
ten brick  layer  and  plasterer. 

This  house  contained  all  the  conveniences  of  those  days 
and  even  what  were  considered  luxuries.  All  the  front  rooms 
were  plastered.  The  beaufet  with  its  glass  doors  was  built  in 
the  corner  of  the  "best  room,"  and  cupboards,  also,  with  glass 
doors,  beside  the  chimney  and  over  the  fireplaces  where  the  ink 
bottle  must  be  kept  and  anything  else  they  wished  to  keep  from 
freezing.  An  extra  fireplace  was  built  in  one  bedroom  so  that 
the  minister's  wife  could  have  a  warm  sleeping  room,  the  flue 
being  carried  diagonally  across  the  attic  and  entering  the  chim- 
ney just  beneath  the  roof.  But  when  they  put  only  three  win- 
dows into  the  south  side  of  the  house  and  gave  the  north,  facing 
the  street,  the  full  complement,  they  showed  less  regard  for 
comfort  than  appearances.  Evidently  the  predjudice  against 
everything  English  was  not  universal  as  one  of  the  chambers 
was  papered  with  English  wall  paper. 

In  the  "best  room"  was  the  high-posted  bedstead  with  its 
■canopy  and  curtains  filling  one  corner,  the  high-backed  rush- 
bottomed  chairs  standing  in  a  stiff  row  against  the  wall  ;  the 
light  stand  in  the  chimney  corner  supporting  the  mahogany 
^'waiter"  with  its  tea  set,  decanter  and  glasses  where  the  min- 
ister's wife  entertained  her  "  company,"  or  the  minister  discussed 
theology  with  visiting  ministers. 

Most  of  the  furnishings  have  disappeared.  A  portion  of 
the  bed  curtain  is  with  the  collection  belonging  to  the  Histori- 
•cal  Society.     It  is  of  homespun  linen  with  crude  embroidery  of 


40 

thistles  in  natural  colors.  The  minister's  wife  brought  the  cur- 
tains, which  were  her  own  handiwork,  from  her  home  in  Wren- 
tham  when  they  came  here  in  1764.  The  Society  also  has  a 
pewter  platter,  the  old  family  Bible  with  autograph  and  sermons 
and  a  book  containing  two  sermons  which  belonged  to  the  min- 
ister's wife.  It  has  in  it  her  name  and  the  date,  1787.  The 
binding  was  evidently  done  at  home — the  paper  used  being  a 
Thanksgiving  Proclamation  dated  1777. 

The  bracket  shaving  glass  the  minister  always  used,  the  old 
cradle  with  carved  head,  the  mirror  in  its  mahogany  framev 
which  hung  in  the  best  room  and  the  mahogany  "waiter  "  are 
still  in  good  preservation. 

The  wife  died  in  1807,  eighty-two  years  of  age. 

The  good  old  minister  lived  to  hold  in  his  arms  the  young- 
est of  his  nine  grandchildren.  He  went  to  his  long  home  No- 
vember fourteen,  181  j,  being  nearly  eighty  years  of  age,  having 
been  in  the  ministry  fifty  years,  and  having  written  and  delivered 
more  than  a  thousand  sermons. 

The  second  son,  George,  born  April  first,  1769,  graduated 
at  Harvard  in  1788.  He  married  Pamela  Martin,  and  bringing 
his  young  wife  to  live  in  a  part  of  his  father's  house,  commenced 
the  practice  of  medicine.  He  is  the  only  resident  physician 
this  town  has  ever  had.  Nine  children  were  born  to  them,  five 
of  whom  died  in  childhood. 

The  doctor  died  in  1829,  sixty  years  of  age.  His  wife  lived 
to  the  age  of  eighty-five  years,  being  cared  for  by  a  son  and 
daughter  who  had  remained  in  the  old  home.  Two  daughters 
had  married  and  gone  to  homes  of  their  own.  One  was  wedded 
to  the  man  whose  brain  thought  out  what  is  today  known  as  the 
"  Goodyear  process  "  for  hardening  rubber.  He  held  patents 
for  some  of  his  inventions,  among  them  one  for  castors  for 
trunks,  without  which,  the  trunk  of  today  would  be  incomplete. 
And  still,  "  he  was  to  fortune  and  to  fame  unknown." 

In  the  business  depression  about  the  time  of  the  Civil  War^ 
broken  in  health  and  discouraged,  the  sisters  (the  elder  one  be- 
ing widowed  years  before)  returned  with  their  families  to  the 
shelter  of  the  old  home.     And  there  they  waited  weary  years  till 


41 

one  by  one  they  were  called  "  into  the  great  beyond."  Now  the 
last  one  has  gone  and  the  old  homestead  has  passed  into  other 
hands. 

But  the  march  of  improvement  has  passed  it  by.  Its  frame 
of  solid  oak  is  as  sound  as  ever,  and  much  of  the  original  outer 
covering  is  still  to  be  seen.  Some  of  the  windows  are  the  same 
that  admitted  light  a  century  ago  and  the  bird-house  for  the 
martins  is  yet  under  the  eaves. 

The  wide  front  door  with  its  old  fashioned  latch  and  bolt 
still  swings  on  the  massive  iron  hinges.  The  big  chimney  with- 
yawning  fireplaces  still  fills  the  centre  of  the  house.  In  the  best 
room  are  the  heavy  corner  posts,  the  pannelling  by  the  chimney 
and  tiny  cupboards  with  glazed  doors  and  quaint  latches.  The 
old  kitchen  with  rafters  showing  overhead  ceiled  up  with  pine  ;. 
the  dresser  shelves  where  once  the  well  scoured  pewter  shone  ; 
the  high  mantle  over  the  big  fireplace  with  its  swinging  crane 
and  handy  niche  where  the  good  man  kept  his  pipe  ;  the  big 
brick  oven  and  wide  hearth  ;  the  quaint  old  doors  opening  intO' 
bedrooms  at  either  end,  in  one  of  which  is  the  tiny  fireplace 
with  its  little  cupboard  above  ;  the  wooden  latches  with  their 
latch  strings  ;  the  wide  floor  boards  and  unpainted  woodwork 
darkened  by  age:  all  belong  to  the  days  of  long  ago. 

Many  forest  fires  have  threatened  to  destroy  it.  These  and 
the  ravages  of  time  made  repairing  it  a  necessity.  This  has- 
been  done  in  such  a  way  that  it  still  appears  to  be  what  in. 
reality  it  is — the  old  parsonage  built  by  the  first  minister  of  thi& 
place  in  1777. 


Miss  Edith  McClure  then  gave  the  following  recitation 
'  NEW   ENGLAND 


This  is  our  own,  our  native  home, 
Though  poor  and  rough  she  be; 

The  home  of  many  a  noble  soul. 
The  birthplace  of  the  free. 

We'll  love  her  rocks  and  rivers 
Till  death  our  quick  blood  chills 


42 


Hurrah  for  old  New  England  ! 

And  her  cloud-capped  granite  hills  ! 
They  tell  us  of  our  freezing  clime, 

Our  hard  and  rugged  soil ; 
Which  hardly  half  repays  us  for 

Our  springtime  care  and  toil ; 
Yet  gaily  sings  the  merry  boy 

As  his  homestead  farm  he  tills: 
Hurrah  for  old  New  England  ! 

And  her  cloud-capped  granite  hills  ! 
Others  may  seek  the  Western  clime — 

They  say  'tis  passing  fair  ; 
That  sunny  are  its  laughing  skies 

And  soft  its  balmy  air. 
We'll  linger  'round  our  childhood  home, 

Till  age  our  warm  blood  chills  ; 
Till  we  die  in  old  New  England, 

And  sleep  beneath  her  hills. 

— Y.  Y. 


The  President  then  called  upon  Mr.  Ansel  K.  Tisdale,  who 
ispoke  upon  the  historic  features  of  the 

"OLD  TOLL  HOUSE." 


Mr.  President  and  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: — It  gives  me 
great  pleasure  to  bring  to  you  the  greetings  of  the  Dover  His- 
torical and  Natural  History  Society  and  to  express  the  hope 
that  all  of  you  may  live  to  visit  us  on  the  occasion  of  the  next 
■celebration  of  "Old  Home  Day"  in  this  town. 

We  are  neither  an  old  or  a  large  organization  but  the 
members  are  active,  earnest,  and  painstaking  in  their  work,  and 
already  they  have  accumulated  a  goodly  sized  collection  of 
relics  and  articles  of  historic  value,  both  local  and  general. 

At  present  the  society  has  forty-one  active  members  and 
•quite  a  list  of  honorary  members.  The  regular  business  meet- 
ings of  the  society  are  held  on  the  first  Saturdays  of  January, 
April,  July  and  October. 


43 

The  society  was  organized  in  1895,  with  a  list  of  twenty 
seven  charter  members,  but  in  1900  it  was  deemed  advisable  to 
incorporate  it,  and  the  original  society  was  merged  in  the  new 
one  accordingly,  and  has  continued  under  fairly  prosperous 
conditions  until  the  present  time. 

It  is  the  aim  of  the  officers  and  members  to  make  the 
society  one  of  use  in  this  community  and  to  preserve  intact 
many  articles  which  will  be  of  great  interest  to  future  genera- 
tions. We  are  pleased  to  show  you  some  of  these  articles 
today.  Our  latch  string  is  always  on  the  outside  and  we  should 
be  pleased  to  have  you  visit  us  at  any  time. 

I  have  been  asked  to  say  a  few  words  about  the  "  Old  Toll 
House  "  which  stood  on  the  old  Dedham  and  Hartford  Turn- 
pike in  the  south  part  of  the  town. 

It  is  perhaps  valuable  as  a  "relic,"  not  because  of  excessive 
age,  but  because  it  now  stands  as  it  was  when  built,  (although 
not  in  the  same  place)  and  because  its  use  and  purpose  marks 
the  decay  of  a  system  of  highway  travel  then  quite  popular  but 
now  obsolete  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

The  Dedham  and  Hartford  Turnpike,  so  called,  passes 
through  the  south  part  of  the  town  for  a  distance  of  perhaps 
one  and  one-fourth  miles,  from  east  to  west,  and  this  house 
stood  about  half-way  from  these  two  outside  points. 

I  hold  in  my  left  hand  a  picture  of  the  Tisdale  house,  now 
owned  by  Mr.  J.  V.  Schaffner,  and  it  was  to  the  ell  attached  to 
this  house  that  the  toll  house  and  a  part  of  the  sleeping  room 
were  taken  when  the  Turnpike  Corporation  before  alluded  to 
was  dissolved  and  it  was  no  longer  needed.  In  my  right  hand 
I  hold  a  picture  of  the  Toll  House  as  it  stood  then  and  stands 
now.  The  office,  as  the  picture  shows,  is  a  little  building  about 
twelve  feet  square  with  its  large  panel  door,  old-fashioned,  large 
sized  windows  and  wooden  shutters,  the  overhanging  eaves,  all 
of  which  show  the  style  of  buildings  of  those  days.  Connected 
with  the  office  was  a  sleeping  room.  My  grandfather  was  the 
official  keeper,  but  placed  his  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  Rebecca 
Hastings,  in  charge.  Mrs.  Hastings  was  the  mother  of  Capt. 
Charles  W.   Hastings,  the  present  popular  Massachusetts  Com- 


44 

missioner  of  State  Aid  for  Soldiers,  and  his  two  elder  brothers'- 
Oscar  and  Henry,  were  born  in  this  sleeping  room. 

In  this  picture  of  the  house  (in  which  by  the  way  my 
grandfather,  father,  myself  and  my  son  were  born, )  the  white 
line  at  the  bottom  shows  the  outline  of  the  turnpike  (now- 
called  Hartford  street)  and  the  broader  white  line  represents 
\\'alpole  street,  which  two  streets  cross  each  other  directly  in. 
front  of  the  house. 

Directly  opposite  the  front  door  of  the  house  and  on  the 
northerly  side  of  the  turnpike  about  150  feet  from  said  door, 
stood  the  toll  gate  buildings.  In  our  modern  way  of  looking 
at  convenience  and  comfort,  we  should  hardly  think  of  placing 
a  gate  designed  to  stop  vehicles  while  the  drivers  might  trans- 
act business  with  the  keeper,  in  the  middle  of  a  hill  of  at  least 
a  half-mile  ascent,  but  such  was  the  fact  in  this  case. 

Concerning  the  methods  of  transacting  the  toll  business,  I 
believe  that  the  Historical  Society  has  a  book  (written)  which 
shows  perhaps  what  classes  of  vehicles  were  allowed  to  pass 
without  having  to  be  paid  for  on  the  spot,  but  of  which  account 
was  kept  and  the  bills  paid  at  stated  intervals.  Notably  in  this 
class  were  stages  and  mail-bearing  vehicles. 

I  will  not  longer  trespass  on  your  time,  and  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  I  thank  you  for  your  very  kind  attention. 


Mr.  Richard  Bond  read  a  paper  upon 

THE  WILSON  HOMESTEAD. 


The  Wilson  family  is,  undoubtedly,  one  of  the  oldest  fam- 
ilies in  the  state  and  was  the  hrst  family  to  settle  within  the 
limits  of  Dover.  1 

Henry  Wilson  came  from  Kent,  England,  in  1637,  with 
Mary  Metcalf,  his  future  wife,  and  settled  on  what  is  now  called 
Wilsondale  Farm.  He  built  his  house  of  one  room  on  the  south 
side  of  the  path  from  Dedham  to  the  Common  pasture  ground, 
which  included  the  Strawberry  Hill  District.  On  awakening 
the  first  morning  he  was  greeted  by  a  wild  cat  looking  in  upon 
him. 


45 

The  original  house,  which  from  time  to  time  was  enlarged, 
•stood  back  of  where  the  barn  now  stands  and  was  taken  down 
about  thirty-five  years  ago.  The  house  now  standing  at  the 
corner  of  Dedham  and  Chestnut  Streets,  near  Day's  bridge,  con. 
tains  many  of  the  boards  and  timbers  of  the  first  house.  The 
old  barn  stood  in  the  road  as  it  is  now  located,  nearl}-  in  front 
of  the  new  barn. 

The  original  farm  consisted  of  about  two  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  divided  as  follows:  The  home  place  of  about  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  acres,  and  joining  it,  fifty  acres  of  woodland  which 
is  now  in  Westwood,  six  acres  in  the  Broad  Meadows  of  Need- 
ham,  eight  acres  of  tillage  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Charles 
River,  also  in  Westwood,  and  eighty-five  acres  or  more  in  other 
parts  of  Dover.  At  that  time  almost  every  farmer  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Dedham  owned  at  least  a  few  acres  in  the  Broad  meadows 
of  Needham. 

The  original  road,  now  called  Wilsondale  Street,  which  ex- 
tends over  Strawberry  Hill,  was  straightened  and  greatly  im- 
proved by  Ephraim  Wilson  at  his  own  expense  in  1799.  An 
-elm  tree,  planted  by  him  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago, 
still  stands  on  the  side  of  this  old  road,  offering  its  great  leafy 
branches  for  shade  to  the  passersby. 

At  least  two  hundred  years  ago  there  was  a  saw  mill  built 
by  the  side  of  the  road  on  what  was  called  the  Mill  Brook.  The 
water  which  furnished  the  power  for  the  running  of  this  mill 
was  held  back  on  the  land  which  now  comprises  most  of  the 
mowing  and  tillage  of  the  farm  by  a  dam,  the  remains  of  which 
can  yet  be  seen. 

Every  descendant  of  Henry  Wilson  who  has  since  occupied 
the  farm  has  been  an  Ephraim  Wilson  until  now. 

The  early  Wilsons  derived  their  income  from  the  sale  of 
ship  timber,  elm  logs  for  wheel  hubs  and  ox  bows,  burning  and 
selling  charcoal  and  also  from  a  cider  mill,  which  was  run  for 
one  hundred  and  fifty  years  or  more. 

Ephraim    Wilson,  grandfather  of   the    present    generation 
-was  employed  by  the    United    States    government    during    the 
War    of  1812   in  carting  supplies   between  Boston  and  Philadel- 


46 

phia.     This  was  done  with  an  ox  team,  and  a  large  chain  used 
by  him  at  that  time  is  still  on  the  place. 

From  this  farm  many  Indians  have  gathered  material  for 
basket  making,  and  on  coming  to  the  house  were  given  food 
with  the  assurance  of  friendly  feelings,  but  for  over  fifty  years 
few  if  any  Indians  have  been  seen  on  the  place. 

The  Wilsons  have  always  been  prominent  in  church  and 
civil  life.  Ephraim  Wilson  was  a  member  of  the  first  school 
committee  and  deacon  of  the  first  Unitarian  Church  of  Dover. 
This  same  deacon  had  a  black  horse  that  would  start  for  church 
from  wherever  he  happened  to  be  when  he  heard  the  church 
bell  ring,  his  favorite  route  being  through  his  neighbor's  straw 
berry  piece.  There  is  still  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Ephraim 
Wilson  a  deed  of  pew  number  eight  in  this  same  church,  dated 
November  4,  1839,  and  deeded  to  Deacon  Ephraim  Wilson. 


Miss  Howard  again  favored  the  audience  with  violin  solos^ 
"Valse  Gracieuse"  by  Sam  Franko  and  "Berceuse"  from 
"  Jocelyn"  by  B.  Godard.  She  was  accompanied  by  Miss  Ella 
Hanchett  of  South  Natick. 


Master  Thomas  Jefferson  Tobey,  nine  years  of  age,  dressed 
in  costume,  gave  the  following  recitation  : 

THE  FARMER'S  ALMANAC. 


Go,  git  the  Farmer's  Almanac  an'  bring  it  hiim  ter  me  ; 

Be  sure    an'   git    the    latest    one,    marked    "nineteen    hundred 

three." 
I've  read  the  old  one  through  an'  through,  I've  got  it  most  by 

heart. 
It's  jest  chock  full  o'  good  advice  in  every  single  part. 
We  can't  keep  house  without  it,  'n'  each  twelve  month  without 

fail, 
There's  got  ter  be  a  new  one  thar',  a-hanging  on  the  nail ; 
So  mind,  yer  don't  forgit  it,  naow,  an'  when   yer    come   from 

taown, 
We'll  hang  up  this  year's  almanac  an'  take  the  ole  one  daown. 


47 

The   gals    they    read    them    story    books  —  can't   seem    ter   git 

enough 
Of  readin'  'bout  the  Jacks  and  Jills — a  silly  mess  o'  stufif ; 
They  say  that  it's  historical,  but  hist'ry  don't  tell  when 
It's  time  ter  cut  the  fodder  corn  or  haow  ter  set  a  hen  ; 
In  all  them  gilt-edged  books  o'  their'n,  I'll  bet  they  never  saw 
No  readin'  thet  would  tell  'em  when  they  might  expect  a  thaw. 
I  like  ter  read  good  common  sense,  an'  though  it  ain't  in  rhyme^ 
The  good  old  farmer's  almanac  jest  gits  thar'  every  time. 

The  boys  they  nagged  me  ter  subscribe  (well,   what  a  fool  I 

wuz  !) 
To  the  Jayville  Weekly  Rumor,  'n'  I  did  ;  but,  dear  me,  suz, 
Jest  tells  abaout  the  neighb'ring  folks,  an'  every  kind  o'  yarn, 
But  nary  word  yer'll  see  'baout  haow  ter  ventilate  the  barn. 
Naow,  take  it  when  the  winter's  gone,  them    poets   hev    their 

fling. 
An'  act  so  awful  tickled,  jest  because  it's  comin'  spring  ; 
They  prate  abaout  the  balmy  air,  the  shootin'  of  the  trees, 
But  the  almanac  don't  waste  no  words — jest  tells  us,  "  Naow 

plant  peas." 

O,  there's  comfort  these  long  evenin's  when  all  in  my  working 

togs 
I  read  thet  little  book  beside  the  blazin'  hickory  logs. 
An'  ma  she  sets,  a-knittin' — my  !  but  haow  them  needles  fly  ! 
A-fiashin'  in  the  firelight,  like  ez  though  they'd  blind  yer  eye, 
An'  she  listens  while  I  read  out  loud  like  this :    "  Now  kill  yer 

hog," 
An'  then  ag'in  :  "Baout  this  time  put  a  muzzle  on  ther  dog." 
It's  mighty  interestin',  an'  es  fur  es  I  can  see. 
The  yearly  farmers'  almanac  jest  fills  the  bill  fer  me. 


A  quartette  consisting  of  Mrs.  H.  C.  Packard,  Mrs.  Etta 
Hall,  Mr.  Allen  Smith  and  Mr.  Joseph  Ziolkowski,  then  ren- 
dered "Home  Again," 


Mrs.  M.  A.  Everett  followed  with  some  interesting  facts 
concerning  "The  Flag,"  which  was  made  by  ladies  of  Dover  at 
the  time  of  the  Civil  war. 


48 
THE  FLAG. 


In  this  delightful  home  coming  of  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  Dover,  when  it  has  been  such  a  pleasure  to  grasp  the  hand 
in  friendship,  and  look  in  the  faces  of  friends  long  absent,  you 
Avill  pardon,  I  am  sure,  if  I  ask  your  attention  for  a  few- 
moments  to  a  memory  dear  to  us  all. 

Forty-two  years  ago  our  gatherings  in  town  were  far  dif- 
ferent from  this  today.  Those  who  were  not  in  the  midst  of  it 
-can  hardly  realize  or  imagine  the  excitement  that  prevailed 
when  the  news  came  that  Fort  Sumter  had  been  attacked. 

m 

Although  it  had  been  known  for  a  long  time  that  there  was 
a  division  of  feeling  between  the  North  and  the  South,  few 
really  believed  that  there  was  to  be  serious  fighting ;  but  when 
President  Lincoln  called  for  75,000  volunteers,  then  the  truth 
flashed  upon  us  that  war  was  here — had  already  begun. 

How  quickly  the  young  men  of  this  town  who  had  been 
quietly  working  in  shops,  or  on  farms,  responded  to  the  call. 
They  were  not  only  ready,  but  anxious  to  don  the  coat  of  blue, 
shoulder  their  rifle  and  march  to  the  front.  How  well  we 
recall  them  as  they  said  their  good  byes,  strong,  noble  young 
men,  giving  themselves  for  their  country's  protection.  Many 
homes  were  saddened  and  hearts  made  heavy  as  the  boy  who 
had  been  cradled  in  his  mother's  arms  went  forth,  mayhap  for 
the  first  time  from  his  childhood  home.  The  anxiety  with 
which  the  one  daily  mail  was  watched  for  can  hardly  be  de- 
scribed, as  we  clustejed  around  the  venerable  postmaster,  Mr. 
Isaac  Howe,  for  our  share  in  its  contents. 

My  sister,  Miss  Plummer,  whom  many  will  remember  was 
teaching  in  New  York  at  the  time,  said  the  excitement  there 
was  intense.  Coming  home  for  a  vacation,  she  urged  that  we 
have  a  flag  raised  in  town  to  show  our  interest  and  sympathy 
m  this  great  struggle. 

Bunting  could  not  be  had  in  Boston,  the  demand  so 
much  exceeded  the  supply.  We  sisters,  with  our  father's  help, 
bought  the  cloth  of  which  this  flag  was  made,  cotton  cloth  then 
being  fifty  cents  a  yard.  We  cut  out  our  flag,  the  stars,  stripes 
.and  eagle,  with  the  mottoes,  "The  Constitution"  on  one  side 


49 

and  "  Liberty  and  Union  "  on  the  other.     The  stars  and  states- 
then  numbered  thirty-four. 

Then  we  invited  our  nearest  neighbors,  Mrs.  John  Kenrick, 
Mrs,  Asa  Talbot,  Mrs.  Alexander  Soule  and  Mrs.  Aaron  Bacon 
to  help  set  the  many  stitches.  My  father's  home  was  then  at 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Minot  cottage.  When  it  was  finished 
we  invited  the  men  of  the  neighborhood  to  erect  a  staff 
for  the  flag,  which  should  announce  to  all  beholders  every 
Union  victory  during  the  war.  My  father  (Mr.  Plummer), 
Mr.  Asa  Talbot  and  Mr.  Everett  went  into  the  woods  and  cut  a 
fine  tree  and  made  the  staff,  which  was  erected  just  inside  the 
gate,  in  the  field  opposite  where  we  now  live,  there  being  no 
trees  growing  on  the  roadside  then. 

At  the  raising  a  goodly  number  of  people  assembled,  and 
Mr.  Theodore  Dunn,  mounted  upon  a  temporary  platform  of 
two  barrels  and  a  board,  made  a  stirring  speech.  So,  amid 
cheers  and  hand-clapping,  our  flag  was  made  ready  for  duty. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  exercises,  I  was  requested  to  take 
charge  cf  the  flag.  The  ropes,  with  pulleys  attached,  extended 
from  our  attic  window  to  the  top  of  the  staff,  and  the  flag  hung 
at  full  length  over  the  road. 

The  year  of  '6i  gave  few  Union  victories,  and  the  flag 
could  not  float.  But  with  '62  came  the  victories  of  Shiloh, 
Yorktown,  South  Mountain  and  others,  with  the  surrender  of 
New  Orleans ;  '63  brought  the  memorable  battles  of  Gettys- 
burg, Vicksburg,  and  Gen.  Hooker's  scaling  the  heights  of 
Lookout  Mountain. 

How  proudly  I  climbed  the  attic  stairs  and  swung  out  the 
flag  for  these,  and  the  battles  of  '64 — the  battle  of  the  Wilder- 
ness, the  capture  of  Savannah,  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea, 
and  lastly,  in  '65,  for  the  surrender  of  Lee  and  Johnson.  The 
flag  told  to  all  who  passed  under  its  folds  that  it  was  proclaim- 
ing the  success  of  our  armies,  and  that  our  boys  in  blue  were 
working,  fighting,  suffering,  and  dying  for  liberty  and  the 
Union.  Some  few  of  the  boys  are  here  today  with  hair  grown 
gray  and  step  less  elastic,  but  with  hearts  as  brave  and  love  of 
country  as  strong  as  when  they  said  their  fond  adieus  in  '61. 
Others  whom  we  dearly  loved  never  returned,  but  laid   down 


so 

their  lives  for  their  country  and  the   flag    so    dear    to    us  all. 
Then  let  this  be  our  motto,  "  In  God  is  our  trust,"  and 

"The  star  spangled  banner  in  triumph  shall  wave, 
O'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave." 


The  President  then  introduced   Mr.   Elbridge  G.  P.  Guy  of 
Worcester,   one  of  our   invited  guests  and  a  former  resident  of 
the  town,  who  gave  the  following  reminiscences: 
Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  — 

I  did  not  come  here  to  make  an  address,  but  rather  in 
response  to  your  kind  invitation  to  come  back  home  to  this  old 
town  after  an  absence  of  over  thirty  years  to  grasp  the  hand  of 
some  of  those  whom  I  knew  in  my  boyhood  days. 

My  early  home  was  in  the  southern  part  of  Dover  about  a 
half  mile  from  the  old  toll  gate,  which  has  been  so  well  de- 
scribed here  today.  We  had  quite  a  fair-sized  village  all  in 
two  houses,  being  one  of  twelve  children.  If  we  had  all  re- 
mained there  we  might  have  come  over  to  your  annual  town 
meeting  and  voted  for  this  beautiful  town  hall,  the  library,  and 
the  other  improvements  to  that  section  of  the  town. 

The  memory  of  those  early  days  comes  to  me  very  clearly 
and  I  notice  before  me  two  young  men — young  men  they  are, 
because  I  am — and  they  were  boys  with  me.  Well  do  I  re- 
member who  was  the  owner  of  the  fastest  sled.  I  was  interested 
in  the  recitation,  "The  Farmer's  Almanac,"  for  I  started  in 
business  peddling  from  house  to  house  in  Medfield,  Robert 
Thorn's  Almanac,  which  was  the  most  important  book,  next  to 
the  Bible,  owned  by  the  farmers. 

Perhaps  I  can  reveal  a  secret  to  you.  White  huckle- 
berries grew  in  this  town  and  we  picked  them  every  year  and 
sent  them  to  market,  getting  a  good  price  for  them.  When  ripe 
they  are  white  on  one  side  and  spotted  red  on  the  other,  and 
the  place  where  they  grew  we  kept  a  secret. 

The  good  old  Parson  Sanger  has  been  spoken  of  here 
today.  Well  do  I  remember  a  little  story  told  by  mother  of 
Mr.  Sanger  calling  on  one  of  the  dear  old  ladies  of  his  people, 
who  brought  him  a  cup  of  tea  and  persisted  in  pouring  in  the 


SI 

molasses,  saying,   "All  molasses  is  none  too  good  for  our  dear 
pastor." 

My  father  and  grandfather  were  born  in  this  town  and  the 
early  home  was  in  a  little  red  house  owned  and  occupied  by  the 
father  of  your  historian  and  was,  I  believe,  torn  down  by  him. 
I  have  heard  my  father  say  that  in  those  early  and  troublesome 
days  they  placed  a  cheese  in  the  attic  window  and  the  Indians, 
supposing  it  to  be  a  face,  wasted  their  ammunition  tilling  it  full 
of  holes. 

Mr.  President,  I  was  interested  in  your  description  of  the 
•old  pound  and  I  wondered  whether  or  not  it  was  your  custom 
at  your  annual  town  meeting  to  elect  a  pound  keeper.  In  the 
town  of  Auburn  I  visited  the  pound,  accompanied  by  one  of 
the  town  officers,  and  found  it  kept  in  excellent  condition.  At 
the  entrance,  filling  nearly  the  entire  space,  stands  a  large  oak 
making  it  impossible  to  enter,  and  still  at  every  town  meeting 
they  elect  a  pound  keeper.  He  is  always  the  last  man  who  was 
married,  even  though  it  happened  to  be  the  young  pastor,  if  he 
had  been  in  town  long  enough  to  be  a  voter. 

Now  with  a  few  words  of  counsel  I  am  through.  To  the 
many  here  today  who  have  been  absent  for  years,  where  can 
you  find  a  better  place  to  return  and  invest  your  money,  where 
you  may  buy  land  and  houses  in  a  town  where  taxes  are  less 
than  eight  dollars  on  a  thousand.  Is  there  another  place  in  the 
state  to  compare  with  it  ? 

And  now  to  the  people  who  occupy  the  hill  farms  and  own 
their  broad  acres.  Make  an  effort  to  bring  to  your  town  the 
farmers  of  the  new  school.  We  have  farms^in  the  towns  adjoin- 
ing the  city  where  I  live  and  the  buildings  are  of  the  latest 
design,  their  horses  are  of  the  finest,  their  herds  of  cattle  are 
all  registered  stock.  They  send  their  milk  to  Worcester  and 
receive  thirty  cents  per  can,'which  cost  them  twenty-five  cents 
per  quart.  Then  also  potatoes  cost  them  one  dollar  each  but 
they  are  good. 

These  are  the  sort  of  familiesjyou  want  to  build  up  your 
town.  They  will  spend  their  money  here  and  you  will  be  bene- 
fited by  it. 


T.  \V.  Hi^gins,  President  of  the  Dover  Temperance  Union, 
being  called  upon  said  in  part  as  follows : 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Friends  : — 

Several  days  ago  the  general  secretary  for  Old  Home  Day 
informed  me  that  I  was  to  be  on  the  Reception  Committee  for 
rodav.  Upon  inquiry  33  to  my  duties,  I  was  told  that  I  was  to 
shake  hands  and  smile.  I  congratulated  myself  upon  the  easy 
task  assigned  me.  At  a  much  later  date  I  was  told  that  I  was 
to  speak  for  the  Dover  Temperance  Union.  I  am  always  glad 
to  speak  a  word  for  that  grand  organization,  that  has  done  so 
much  in  moulding  the  character  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  Dover 
for  the  past  thirty  years  or  more.  Many  of  them  have  gone 
out  from  the  old  home,  but  they  have  carried  with  them  the 
temperance  sentiment  taught  in  our  union  meetings. 

The  Dover  Temperance  Union  is  the  oldest  organization 
in  town,  excepting  the  churches.  It  was  organized  October  4' 
1872.  Rev.  T.  S.  Norton,  president,  and  G.  L.  Howe,  secretary. 

During  its  exisience  it  has  had  but  five  presidents.  First, 
Hev.  T,  S.  Norton,  a  noble  Christian  man,  a  consistent  worker. 
Though  long  since  gone  to  his  reward  he  still  lives,  and  will 
ever  live,  in  Ae  memory  of  those  who  knew  him.  His  portrait 
srraces  the  walls  of  this  hall,  as  vou  see  at  mv  right.  The 
second  president  was  Rev.  A.  M.  Rice,  who  occupied  the  chair 
one  year.  The  third  w;ls  Hon.  Frank  Smith,  our  orator  of 
today.  The  fourth,  Ansel  K.  Tisdale,  now  president  of  the 
Dover  Historical  Societv'.     The  fifth,  your  humble  servant. 

The  society-  stands  today,  as  it  always  has,  for  good  citizen- 
ship, for  all  that  is  grand  and  noble,  all  that  tends  to  pure 
manhood  and  womanhood.  It  is  non-sectarian  and  non-politi- 
cal. We  welcome  all  who  will  pledge  themselves  to  abstain 
from  the  use  of  intoxicant  liquors  as  a  beverage.  During  these 
•years  three  hundred  and  sixty-one  have  signed  the  pledge  and 
become  members  of  our  society.  The  time  of  meeting  has 
always  been  the  third  Sunday  evening  of  each  month.  For 
many  years  the  meetings  were  held  in  the  different  churches, 
alternating  between  the  Congregational,  Unitarian,  Baptist 
and  the  Mission  at  Charles  River.     Of  late  years  the  meetings 


S3 

have  been  held  in  this  hall.  It  is  here  the  fire  has  been  kept 
burning,  and  we  trust  it  ever  will  be  kept  burning,  till  King 
Alcohol  is  dethroned  and  our  people  are  freed  from  the  curse. 


Joseph  Ziolkowski.  Worthy  Master  of  Do%-er  Grange  No. 
117.  being  called  upon  spoke  as  follows: 
Mr.  Chairmax,  Ladies  and  Gextlemex: — 

As  the  hour  is  getting  late  I  will  not  take  up  much  time. 
The  Dover  Grange  was  the  second  order  that  was  started  in 
this  town,  and  it  has  been  doing  the  good  work  for  which  it 
was  founded. 

Dover  Grange  has  brought  the  people  together  and  has 
made  them  better  men  and  women.  It  is  always  ready  to  wel- 
come those  who  are  willing  to  join  us. 

We  extend  a  welcome  to  all  jood  citizens. 


The  afternoon  session  was  closed  by  singing  "America." 
The  guests  adjourned  to  the  base  ball  grounds,  where  the 
Heinlein  Cadet  Band  gave  selections  throughout  the  game. 


B.ASE  B.ALL  GAME.   3  P.  M. 


MARRIED  vs.  SINGLE  .WEN 

MARRIED.  SIXGLE. 

James  Glassett,  ist  b.  James  Chickering.  r.f. 

Irving  Stowell,  l.f.  Frank  Bean,  c 

R.  S.  Minot,  cf.  A.  Edward  Hall.  Captain,  ist  b. 

M.  Comiskey,  Captain,  c.  Chester  D.  Hall,  c.f. 

Charles  Dandrow,  r.f.  Charles  Durocher,  2d  b. 

Chas.  Meyers.  2d  b.  Dennis  Glassett,  3d  b. 

Max  Ziolkowski,  p.  Weyland  Minot,  s.s. 

William  T.  Tisdale,  3d  b.  Frederic  French,  p. 

Nicolas  McNamara,  s.s.  William  McNamara.  l.f. 

Score  10  to  5  in  favor  of  married  men  at  end  of  fifth  in- 
kling. Game  called  on  account  of  darkness.  Umpire,  Clarence 
Thompson,  South  Natick, 


I^EPORT  OF  THE  TREASURER   OF    DOVER'S 
FIRST   OLD   HOME   DAY 


Dr. 
-Amount  received  from  Financial  Committee    ^i6o  43 


"             «           "       sale  of  bad 

ges 

• 

30  00 

Cr. 

Amount  paid  for  sports 

$20  00 

"           "       "    refreshments 

23  65 

"           *'       '*    printing,  etc. 

20  25 

«          "       "    band 

35  00 

"          "       "    postage 

5   14 

"          "       "    badges 

32  05 

"           "       "    decorations 

50  00 

Balance  paid  to  Treasurer  Dover 

His 

torical 

and  Natural  History  Society 

• 

• 

4  34 

$190  43 


$190  43 


Respectfully  submitted, 

J.  S.  BATTELLE, 


Treasurer. 


It  was  voted  by  the  Old  Home  Day  organization  that  the 
balance  of  cash  on  hand,  the  unsold  badges,  and  the  manu- 
script in  the  hands  of  the  committee  on  publication  be  given  to 
the  Dover  Historical  and  Natural  History  Society  of  Dover  and 
vicinity,  for  publication  by  them  and  sold  for  the  benefit  of 
said  society. 

The  Historical  Society  accepted  the  gift  and  acknowledged 
the  receipt  of  $4.34  in  cash,  sixty-seven  Old  Home  Day  badges, 
and  appointed  the  following  committee  to  arrange  and  publish 


55 

a  Souvenir  Volume  of  The  First  Old  Home  Day  of  Dover^ 
Mass.:  Eben  Higgins,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Johnson  and  Allen  F.  Smithy 
who  present  the  foregoing  arrangement  of  the  manuscript 
placed  in  their  hands,  and  in  closing  desire  to  mention  that  the 
Town  House  and  Sanger  School  building  were  finely  decorated 
with  flags  and  bunting,  as  were  also  all  the  houses  in  sight.  A 
large  flag  was  suspended  over  the  street  in  front  of  the  Town 
House  with  the  inscription  "Welcome  Home"  printed  in  large 
letters  on  the  bottom.  An  arch  was  built  on  the  top  of  the 
rise  on  the  Common,  between  the  depot  and  the  Town  House 
twelve  feet  high  and  twelve  feet  wide  with  **  Welcome  "  on  the 
top,  a  greeting  which  could  be  seen  as  the  guests  stepped  from- 
the  cars. 

There  were  between  1200  and  1500  present  during  the  day 
and  our  Registrar  succeeded  in  getting  over  600  names  signed 
in  his  register  for  guests. 

Our  townspeople  and  our  various  committees  are  to  be 
congratulated  on  the  great  success  of  our  first  Old  Home  Day. 

EBEN  HIGGINS, 
MRS.  A.  L.  JOHNSON, 
ALLEN  F.  SMITH, 

Committee  on  Publication^ 


NOTICE 

There  are  a  few  copies  of  the  Narrative  History  of  Dover, 
by  Frank  Smith,  published  in  1897,  which  can  be  purchased" 
if  applied  for  soon.  The  price  is  $1.50  for  the  History  and 
eighteen  cents  for  postage.     The  Town  Clerk  has  them  for  sale> 


